Of Her Past
by Flava Sava
Summary: Riza is cleaning around her house when she finds her old journals from when she was growing up. What sort of events and memories will we find out about our gun toting friend? Chapter 14 is here! Riza centered. Some RoyRiza, JeanRiza. Later RoyAi.
1. Of Family

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. **

_Hey Everyone! Long time no see! I just updated one of my stories yesterday, and I decided to post my new one today. This one will be much longer, as it spans a greater amount of time. _

_I decided to write journal/diary entries as a young Riza, and reveal events from her past that make her who she is today (as in the anime and manga).  
__  
So without further adeau, here's the first chapter of "Of her Past". _

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Riza picked up a stack of books to place in a box to go in her closet. Just as she was sure she had them all, Riza tripped on another box, sending the books all to a pile on the floor. Blinking at her clumsiness Riza pushed herself up and started gathering the books. Just as she grabbed one book, she noticed a small old book lying open. She carefully took the book in her hands and looked at its cover. Flipping through the small leather book Riza thought back to its contents. Her thoughts went back to each little mark she could feel on the soft leather cover.

Smiling to herself, Riza opened the book. Sure she should be finishing the cleaning she had been planning on, but a short break couldn't hurt. She opened to the first page, after reading when and from who the journal had come from. Her eyes read the name of her father, not long after her seventh birthday.

Turning the page once again, Riza saw the first beginnings of her handwriting; each letter and word written carefully, yet still in a scribbled sort of way. Such a treasure she had found. _There was no way I still have this _Riza thought, shaking her head in disbelief as she started to read the first entry.

_Dear Journal,_

_Do daddies play favorites? I think my daddy does. He says I'm his favorite little girl. Thomas and Ben get to learn how to shoot today. Daddy won't teach me. And I don't understand why—_

-------That day those years ago---------

Riza sighed as she watched her brothers and father head out to the woods near their house. She had asked to go along with, but Ben had said something about being too young, and girls shouldn't be around guns. Thomas had rolled his eyes at his younger brother, and assured Riza she could go another time. Of course, her father had wanted to take her along, but said she could go once she was older, probably in another year or so; once her mother, Evelyn allowed her to.

"Come on Riza. You can go with daddy and the boys next time. I promise," Evelyn said, taking Riza's hand and heading inside. Riza glanced over her shoulder just as she saw them head into the woods.

"Mommy, how come Ben is so mean sometimes?" Riza asked, looking up at her mother. She recalled the words her brother had said to her before running after their father and elder brother, Thomas. _"You're too little, shorty. Girls should stay home and play with their dolls." _

"Ben will be like that for some time. At least until he grows older. Then he won't torment you as much. I felt the same way with my brother's when I was your age," Evelyn smiled down at her daughter.

"How long will it take for him to grow older?" Riza asked curiously, looking at her mother as they entered the living room and sat down on the couch.

"It will take the same amount for him, as it will take you. Go grab me a book and we'll read it," Evelyn said, gesturing to the large bookcase. Riza grabbed the book they had been reading for sometime, and carried it over to her mother and climbed into her lap.

"I'll grow up faster than him. He can be so mean sometimes," Riza said, cuddling with her mother as they started to read. Between her mother and father, Riza was read two different story books. Her father normally read the larger books, while her mother read her short stories with morals; little things Riza enjoyed hearing, and could understand.

"I'm sure you will grow up faster than him," she smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek, and then pointing at the some of the pictures.

It wasn't long till they had finished the story, and were setting the table for dinner. Riza set the plates carefully on each placemat, and then the spoons and forks; she had yet to have permission to use a knife. Just as she was taking out the napkins, Riza heard yells from outside. She ran out onto the back porch, and saw her father and brothers waving and yelling as they made their way home.

"Daddy's back!" Riza yelled in through the screen door, and then ran off the porch to go see her father. They had been gone a few hours; their father out teaching them how to shoot. "Daddy!" Riza said, jumping into her father's arms.

"There's my girl! Well, howdy little lady. Is dinner almost ready?" Bryan asked, hugging his daughter and continuing to walk with her in his arms.

Riza nodded happily. "Mommy was just setting the table while I finished cooking," Riza grinned.

"Oh really?" Thomas smirked, tickling his sister from behind. "I thought mom was cooking tonight? What did you make us?"

"Mud pies!" Riza giggled, pushing her brother away playfully.

"Mud pies? My favorite! How did you know?" Thomas laughed, tickling Riza once more.

"Hmm… I thought mom was cooking tonight too. Shall we go surprise her with your dinner?" Bryan said, setting Riza down.

"Yeah!" Riza nodded excitedly.

"I'll race you home Riza!" Thomas said, turning and pretending to run to the house. Riza ran after her brother towards the house. Ben sighed, shaking his head at his older brother's immaturity.

"Come on Benny boy. I'll race you back. One on one against your old man," Bryan said, looking at his youngest son. Ben smiled, and nodded.

"Alright dad. On your mark, get set," Ben said, taking off running. "GO!"

"Hey! Get back here you little cheater! You have to wait till go!" Bryan laughed, running after his son.

"You can't catch me dad!" Ben called over his shoulder, running up the steps not long after Thomas and Riza.

"Wash your hands!" Evelyn yelled to the kids from the kitchen. Thomas headed to the bathroom with Riza and helped her wash her hands. Ben joined them soon after, and from there they started a water fight. Bryan entered the house, and came up behind his wife; wrapping his arms around her waist.

"How was your day with out the boys?" He asked, kissing her neck. She smiled at his warm touch, and turned to kiss her husband.

"It was good. They have homework to do once dinner is over with. And Riza wants you to tell her another story," Evelyn explained, kissing her husband and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Another story, eh? Well, I'll have to tell her one from when I was a boy. All those war stories she's heard a million times," Bryan sighed, resting his forehead on Evelyn's. A giggling from the doorway informed them both that their children were watching them.

"Eww… Mommy and daddy are kissing," Riza giggled.

"They're not kissing yet. But they will," Ben said, looking at his little sister. He remembered when he had such thoughts as Riza; about four years ago when he was her age. But now, he understood that kissing was something parents did.

"Did you all wash your hands?" Evelyn asked, turning to her children, and looking at the three of them.

"Yeah, we did," they chorused, stepping out from the corner and showing that they were very wet.

"And I can see you decided to have a water fight to… Well, you wouldn't want to catch a cold. Upstairs, the three of you, and change. I'll have dinner on the table when you're finished," she said, gesturing to the stairs with her head. Ben turned and headed up the stairs, followed by Thomas and Riza; their feet sounding of thunder on the old wood steps.

"Now, where were we?" Bryan asked, turning his wife to face him. Evelyn giggled, and brushed his hat from his head. "Ah, that's right," Bryan said, resuming their kiss.

After dinner, the boys started on their homework at the table while Bryan went out onto the porch. There, he was busy cleaning his gun, just as his father had taught him. Riza had joined her father, and was staring out at the sunset. Bryan could sense his daughter watching him when she wasn't looking out at the horizon. He looked up just in time to catch her eyes and see her look away quickly; as if in trouble.

"Something on your mind, Riza?" Bryan inquired casually, returning his eyes to his work.

"Mommy says I can go with you next time. Will you teach me to shoot like you did Thomas and Ben?" Riza asked, raising her gaze back to her father.

"Well… I know you shouldn't be around guns at such a young age, but I think you're mature enough. Besides, I think every girl should know how to handle a fire arm," Bryan beamed at his daughter.

-----------Back to Present Day Riza---------

—_Ben is so mean. Thomas is nicer than him. Daddy said he would teach me to shoot with his guns the next time he goes out with my brothers. _

_Riza _

Riza smiled at her crayon written entry. She sat back, thinking of the last time she had even thought to when her father took her brothers out to shoot for the first time. After all, Riza was six years younger than Thomas, and four years younger than Ben. Now she could understand why Ben found it unfair that Riza got to learn how to use a gun when she was seven. Her mind continued to wander as she thought of more memories from her childhood.

Black Hayate placed his paw on her leg, hoping to get her attention. He had seen his owner off in her own thoughts before, but this time was different. Her expression was of happiness, not of sadness like it had been in the past. Riza blinked, coming from her revere, and looked at her dog.

"Sorry boy. I guess I just sort of got off task," Riza said, scratching him behind the ears. She then took a look at the clock and realized she had been sitting there for almost forty-five minutes. "Oh, I really am off task!" Riza stated, setting her journal on the bedside table, and then finishing her cleaning.

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_Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Please read and review!  
Later days,  
:Flava Sava:_  



	2. Of Lessons

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. **

_Hey all, sorry I haven't updated in so long! I found something wrong in this chapter, so I changed it. Ironic thing is I got a name in here mixed up with another story. So, for those of you that noticed the name 'Ayden' in here, that's a character from my original story. Sorry! _

_I'll work on updating to a chapter 3 soon! I swear I will! _

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Sighing once more, Riza glanced at the journal; wanting to continue with her writings from the past. After about two more hours of cleaning, Riza decided to call it a night. After her normal lonely dinner she headed up the stairs to shower. Standing under the hot water as it poured down eased the pain in her muscles from carrying around such heavy things alone. Turning the water off, Riza grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her.

Once she had changed into her pajamas, and then dried and brushed her hair, Riza made her way to her room. Settling on her bed with Hayate, Riza reached over and grabbed the smooth leather book. Smiling to herself, she opened the book to the next entry, dated about one month later.

This time the writing wasn't in crayon, and the letters had become somewhat more legible. Grinning, Riza started to read, eager to know what happened since the crayon written entry.

_Dear Journal,_

_Daddy took us out to shoot today. He showed us how to shoot the small pistols rather than the large shotgun so that we could understand the force the gun has. It was a lot of fun; especially when I hit the target on my first try. Ben seemed—_

----------Way Back When-----------

Riza walked out into the woods with her father and brothers. Thomas and Ben each carried small pistols, while Riza carried two clips of ammunition. Ben looked rather irritated that Riza got to come along. He glared over at her every once in a while as they walked.

"Alright boys, do you remember where we were last time?" Bryan asked, looking at his sons. Ben stopped walking, and looked around. He didn't recognize too many trees, since they were looking for a specific one.

"Wasn't it a bit further ahead, and then to the west?" Ben asked hopefully. Bryan smiled; glad Ben had a good sense of direction.

"Yup. Its over in the old farming field of your grandfather's," Bryan nodded to the west. "Now, where did we hide the targets, Thomas?"

"We hid them in a dead, hollowed out log. It's not far from the fence in the field so we can shoot from the log to the fence," Thomas concluded.

"Right. And Riza, what where you in charge of bringing?" Riza held up the clips of ammunition, and then reached into her pocket and withdrew a small bag.

"Bullets and ear plugs," she nodded.

"Very good. Now, the ear plugs will come out when we're done shooting," Bryan explained. They soon reached the field, and started to set up. Thomas set up the targets, or several tin cans and two cardboard cut outs of the human torso. Standing behind the log, Thomas loaded the gun just as their father had taught them. Handing the gun to Bryan, who checked it over, he took it and aimed carefully.

"Wait!" Riza yelled. Thomas looked at his little sister. "You forgot your ear plugs," she said, handing him the bag. Smiling gratefully, Thomas placed the ear plugs in, and handed her the bag. Watching with excitement, Riza looked at the target as her brother saw it. He hit three of the five cans on the fence. Stepping back, he let Ben shoot off a few rounds.

"Go reset the targets for your sister," Bryan said, waving them off. Setting the guns down, Ben and Thomas both jogged across the field. Kneeling down, Bryan started to help Riza. "Relax, and keep your breathing calm. Be prepared for the force in your hand by placing your feet evenly apart and at a way to support yourself. Carefully place your hand on the handle, and aim with the foresights," Bryan instructed, placing Riza's hand under his.

She nodded slightly, hearing his voice in her ear, despite the ear plugs. Once Thomas and Ben were back behind the log, Bryan and Riza squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet at the tin can. It tumbled off the railing, and into the grass.

"Do you think you can shoot this next one without my help?" Bryan asked with his hand still over Riza's. She nodded, and aimed on her own once her father removed his hand. Exhaling slowly, she waited till her heart had slowed from beating in excitement. Taking even better aim, Riza pulled the trigger and hit another can. She flinched a bit more this time since the last time her father had helped support her. "Very good, Riza. That was perfect," Bryan cheered. "Looks like you're giving your brothers' a run for the money."

Beaming at her father, Riza turned and aimed at one of the human outlines. Pulling the trigger twice, Riza had better prepared herself this time. Unmoving from the force of the gunpowder, Riza looked at where the two bullets hit. Both bullets had gone through the cardboard; the first hitting near the heart, and the second several inches up near the brain. Ben blinked, surprised she could aim that well.

"Nice job! That was awesome!" Thomas grinned, ruffling his sister's hair. Taking the gun from her, he fired several shots and hit the cans off the fence railing. They continued shooting like this till the clips were empty. Returning home was easy after cleaning up and collecting the shells to the best of their ability. Riza had gone upstairs to her room, Thomas and Ben worked on their homework, and Evelyn and Bryan sat out on the porch.

"She's a natural Ev… I have never seen anyone aim that well or precise for that matter. And it was only her first try!" Bryan said in disbelief. Evelyn glanced at her husband before looking back at her sewing of a button.

"I swear that girl shouldn't know how to defend herself, especially at such a young age," Evelyn muttered, tying the knot and then cutting the string.

"Oh come on Ev… Like you don't know how to shoot a gun," he smirked, looking at his wife. "She'd be a great sniper," he added, leaning back in his chair. Ev shot him a glance, and then set the shirt in her lap.

"Please don't give her any ideas, Bryan. She's too young to join the military, and hear your foolish stories from your military days," Ev scoffed.

"She loves those stories! I always suggest on a new story, but it's always the same ones I end up telling," he shrugged, trying to hide the smile on his face.

"It's not like you haven't encouraged her," she sighed, rolling her eyes. Bryan laughed, and leaned over kissing his wife.

------------Back in the real world--------------

—_rather angry that I was able to hit the can and the other target. I think he wishes daddy didn't teach me to shoot until I was his age. Maybe he'll take us hunting in the fall since we can all shoot. I can't wait to hear another of daddy's stories. They all sound so exciting, especially when he tells me about all the interesting places he's traveled, and the people he's met._

_Riza_

Smiling, Riza looked at the so called signature at the bottom of the entry. Taking a look over at the entry again, she closed the book and placed it on her bedside table. Petting Hayate a few times, Riza turned off her light, and squirmed down into her blankets. Her mind wandered about the two entries she had read today.

"I probably could have finished more cleaning, but taking that break was nice," she said, her hand on Hayate's head. He rolled over with his back next to her body. "I know I probably shouldn't read it till I have more time. But that was my first journal," she said to Hayate. Hearing his sigh heavily, Riza smiled, and rolled over.

Looking at her journal, Riza's eyes lingered over the picture of herself and Roy in the office. She had taken several pictures to make an album with; this happened to be the one she loved the most. Roy stood slightly behind Riza, a smile on his face as his head rested on her shoulder. One of her few smiles was on her face; something he had said probably made her laugh as the picture was being taken.

Reaching over, Riza gently picked up the picture and brought it closer. She loved the way he smiled. His eyes always lit up and seemed to appear as if he was a happy academy soldier once again. This particular picture showed how his hair fell perfectly into his eyes. It was as if he wanted it that way to hide something; yet she knew better. One of his hands was placed gently around her shoulders, drawing her into a hug.

"If only that could truly be," she murmured, wishing that she and Roy could be together. But alas, the strict laws of the military forbid fraternization with fellow soldiers. Their love for each other could never be shown they way it was meant to be. Smiling at the picture, Riza replaced it back on the night stand, and sighed. Closing her eyes, and listening to the wind blow gently about the eaves, Riza fell asleep dreaming of the man she couldn't have.

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_Continuing with my author note... I decided to take a different approach with this story. Rather than suddenly getting an idea and writing it and then posting, I instead wrote out a timeline/story board. This way my thoughts were far more organized, and I could easily check off what I had already writting, and what I wanted to be written. It has taken a bit more work because I'm so used to the spur of the moment writing... but if I want to become an author than creating a timeline or storyboard would probably be a wise habit to start doing. _

_I'll try and update more often. I have been lacking on that, and I know I should probably be working harder about fanfiction. I mean, I do have reviewers that I need to provide for. And I thank you all for sticking with me. _

_Another process that is taking me a bit longer to get stories out is that I am having a friend edit them for me. She has done an awesome job so far with my other nonfanfiction stories, but I should probably start editing my fanfiction stuff._

_And so I am working towards setting a specific timeeach week when I can at least write a little bit for the next chapter, and then update on a specific date hopefully, every three weeks or so. But you know, plans never go the way you want, so don't be surprised if it turns into a once a month update.  
Thank you so much for reading! Please read and review!  
:Flava Sava: _

_Edit: This is the same second author note from the previous post of this chapter. _


	3. Of Grandpa

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.**

_A/N: Hey all! Long time no update! Seriously! _

_Well, here's the next chapter! Please enjoy! . _

_Longer author note after story!  
Please read and review! _

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Rays from the sun slid between the blinds across Riza's face. She blinked awake, sensing the light through her eyelids. Stretching, she reached down to scratch Hayate, when only to open her eyes and find him staring at her. A smile slipped across her face as she scratched his head and looked into her dog's face.

"Good morning, Hayate," she greeted, sitting up. Looking over at her bedside table, she smiled at the picture. "Good morning, Roy." Hayate tilted his head, as if listening to her intently. Scratching behind his ears, she slipped from the covers, her bare feet coming in contact with the rug below her bed. Taking a step onto the wood floor, she felt the cold instantly pass through her, sending a shiver up her spine. Walking over to her dresser, Riza pulled out a shirt and socks; disappearing into her closet briefly to retriever her pants. Returning to the main part of her room, she dressed and went about her early morning.

Looking at her clock, she realized it was Saturday, meaning she didn't need to go into work until mid-morning. This gave her plenty of time to finish cleaning… Glancing towards her bedroom, she knew she wanted to continue reading her journal. Pouring another cup of tea, Riza grabbed her toast and set the items on the coffee table in the living room. Reentering her room, she picked up the journal and retreated to the couch. Making herself comfortable, Riza decided to flip to a later entry, one in which her handwriting was the neatest.

This entry looked interesting; having a very unique style all in its own. She couldn't remember ever writing like that. Currently her handwriting resembled the Colonel's, for when he wouldn't finish his paperwork, she would do it for him. _He doesn't even know I finish his work for him. Why am I so foolish to help him like this?_ she thought, completely dumbfounded with herself. Moving her eyes back to the page, she began.

_Dear Journal, _

_Grandpa is visiting for the first time in a while. He finally got time away from the military to come stay with us. Dad left to return to Central, although I'm sure it's alchemy related. Recently, alchemists have been returning to the military. Now the government funds them if they become State Alchemists after passing rigorous exams. Or at least that's what Ben explained—_

----------What really happened----------

Riza sat on the porch, feeling the heat from the summer day. She could hear her grandpa caring for one of his pistols; taking each piece and cleaning it vigilantly before at last reassembling the whole firearm. Having watched and listened to him do this for hours, Riza knew which piece he was cleaned-up and was reattaching.

Colonel Grumman glanced at his granddaughter. He watched as she quickly dropped her gaze, getting caught staring. He smiled and looked up at her several times as he continued. "You can watch if you like, Riza. I don't mind," he said with a laugh. She turned her eyes back onto him as he checked the empty firearm before at last reloading it and returning it to its holster.

"Colonel, why did dad have to go back to Central? Didn't he finish his time in the military?" Riza asked, moving closer to her grandfather's chair.

"He did, yes. But now that the military funds state alchemist's research you're father will be able to further his studies," he explained, choosing his words carefully.

"So, does that mean he'll be away traveling?" Riza inquired curiously.

"There is a chance. But it seems all he needs are the right books. And the Central Headquarters has those books in its library," Grumman said, leaning back in his chair.

"If dad becomes a state alchemist, would we move to Central?"

"I'm sure you would. Probably into the place I live. It has many rooms and the city is very big, perfect for a girl your age." He beamed enjoying the look on her face. Just as he was going to explain further, Evelyn opened the screen door.

"Riza, you should leave your grandfather alone. He came out here to relax and get away from work," she said, looking at her daughter.

"Oh it's fine Evie. I don't mind at," Grumman tried to convince her. Riza nodded solemnly and disappeared into the house.

"Dad, must you tell her about Bryan's works?" Evelyn asked, slipping out of the door.

"She has a right to know her father is one of the greatest flame alchemists this land has ever seen! Why won't you tell her?"

"I'll tell her when she's ready. If Bryan becomes renews his state alchemist title, then I'll explain everything to her, but not now. Don't put such foolish ideas in her head. They always get her off her chores," Evelyn muttered.

"Alright, sweetie, I'll be more careful," Grumman relented. Evelyn returned inside, leaving her father to watch the horizon.

Flopping across her bed, Riza looked at all the boxes stacked about her new room. Rolling over onto her back, she stared at the ceiling, thinking back to the whole reason they moved. Once her father became a certified alchemist, they moved in with her grandfather, General Grumman. She had only seen Central once before, when she was much younger. Her new room felt empty, everything she had become so familiar was now gone in her home town.

Voices carried up to her from downstairs. Her mind wandered as she sorted them through her head. _Grandpa…. Mom, dad… _A knock to her door echoed through her empty room. Ignoring it for a few moments she closed her eyes pretending wanting to rest.

"Come in," she called, opening her eyes. Sitting up on her elbows, Riza saw Thomas in the doorway. He smiled and walked over to her, flopping next to her. "Anything new downstairs?"

"Nah, they're still deciding what to make for dinner. Nice decorating job," Thomas said, glancing around at the blank walls.

"Its not like you're room is any different!"

"Well, actually, my room at least has some of my old stuff on it. Grandpa said we could do whatever we wanted with our room. Ben has been working on his room for the past three hours. I can't wait till he either collapses or gives up," Thomas explained with a laugh.

"That's mean!" Riza crossed her arms. She may not have liked Ben all that much—for all the times he teased her—but she didn't like it when Thomas was mean to him at times. Ruffling her hair, Thomas sat up.

"Well, I'm just saying, Riza. He shouldn't try and get it exactly right. That could take him hours. Especially since that room is so much bigger." Shrugging, Riza continued to gaze at the ceiling. Noticing her bored expression, Thomas sat up. "Why don't I help you with your room? That'll give us something to do till dinner." Nodding in agreement, the two got up and started emptying boxes.

Riza instructed her brother where to put everything, mainly the items that she would normally need to stand on a chair to set up. Taking out a picture from a long box, Thomas carefully set it aside, waiting for Riza to tell him where to put it. She was busy arranging things on her book case, trying to get them just right. Most of the items were things she had collected over the years—small trinkets that she had found on the street, or in a little store. Her mind wandered as she held each one before placing it on the shelf. Each trinket had a memory with it that made her smile. Thomas saw the smile appear on her face, and turned back to his own task. It wasn't long till they had everything just the way Riza had wanted. Stepping into the doorway, she and Thomas looked around the room.

"It's perfect," she whispered. If she had done this alone, it would have taken her several days to get everything just right. Hugging Thomas Riza went over and flopped on her bed.

"You're welcome, Riza," Thomas mentioned, leaving her to gaze about her room.

----------Back in her Bedroom----------

—_to me, but I can never tell when he's telling the truth._

_We moved into our new house in Central, which is the same house Grandpa lives in. Thomas and Ben don't have to share a room anymore, which I'm sure Ben is happy about. Father became a state alchemist; a very important flame alchemist. I guess that means the end to our shooting lessons. Maybe we'll find a new place to practice. _

_Riza_

Smiling, Riza leaned back and remembered the Central mansion. Her grandfather still lived there, at least, when he wasn't out on inspections. Closing the book she lay back on the couch, deep in thought. _At least someone still lives in that old house. Ever since father died, I haven't been able to return_, Riza thought, remembering that awful day. Shivering at the very thought, she drank a bit more of her tea and finished her toast.

Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was about time she headed to work. Whistling quickly, Riza stood and cleaned up her mess, leaving the journal where it sat on the coffee table. Washing her dishes and letting them dry, she checked her work bag and headed for the door, Black Hayate at her heels. Her walk to work was short, mostly because she had found an apartment not far from the base. She arrived the same way to work everyday; able to greet everyone along her trail. Whether it was store owners, neighbors, or the occasional old friend that was in the area, she greeted them and then continued on.

Nodding to the guards at the main gate, Riza headed for the offices, figuring she was the first to arrive as always. It was no surprise to her that she had to unlock the office door. After all, she had always been so punctual and prepared for anything. Seeing papers already on her desk for the work day, she traipsed to her desk, setting her bag in the empty drawer. Black Hayate curled on the cushion she had brought in for him, that was hidden under her table. Getting herself comfortable didn't take long. A mug of tea, her pen and paperwork. That was all she needed.

Taking the first file from the stack, Riza exhaled, clearing her mind, and then opened it.

Her work day at officially started.

* * *

_Hey everyone! _

_Thank you for reading, and sticking with me for so long. I really appreciate it, and I really appreciate your reviews! _

_I really struggled with this chapter, as I couldn't quite figure out what should happen in this chapter. >. At one point, it felt like I was forcing my characters to talk. Ah! I couldn't stand that, so I rewrote various parts and that's how it turned out now! Yay! _

_If I don't update... please, check my livejournal. That's where I shall be posting information on my different fanfiction stories so you know how the writing process is coming with them. And, you will also know how close I am to updating, and what not. My name is: hagarenobsessed_

_Thank you everyone for your reviews and such! If I don't update again soon, please, please, PLEASE, bother me through e-mail! Tell me to update and what not. I may even ask for some of your help on what should happen and such. _

_The next chapter will probably not be part of her journal entries/memories. A bit of RoyAi going on. _

_Thanks again! (how many times could I say thank you? I'll never know. I really appreciate you all!)  
:Flava Sava: _


	4. Of the Office

**Disclaimer: **I do not own FMA.

_A/N: Welcome back for Chapter 4 for Of Her Past! And yes, I have finally updated! xD _

_The line break isn't working, so the pluses will mark where my Author notes are xD Which they are only at the beggining and end, like they have always been! _

_The next upadate shouldn't be so far off after this, since I have had most of Chapter 5 written for a few weeks. I've just been editing, and such. And of course school is giong to start in two weeks, followed by my job (which I only work on Saturdays). _

_Anyway, thank you all for your support! You're what make this story come alive!  
Please read and review! _

x x x x x x

Riza sat for some time alone, like she did every morning. There was always one to two hours where no one arrived in their office. Except Saturdays were different. Her time alone in the office was only maybe 30 minutes before either Second Lieutenant Havoc came in with the rest of the guys, or Roy came in. Their voices normally carried up to the office from the stairs and hallway. Continuing to sign paperwork and move on to new files, Riza looked up at the window, opposite her and stared out. Central spread out into the distance, the buildings fading away.

Taking a glance at the report before her, she signed it and placed it in the pile to get filed away. She continued like this for several minutes, her stack getting smaller. Sighing to herself at the quiet, she took a sip of her tea. It was a bit tart, with a hint of sweetener. Riza had been told that having a drink without too much sugar or creamer in it made it a lot healthier. Taking another drink, she returned to reading the reports. Her eyes passed over one written by Edward Elric. _The Colonel will have to read this one_, she thought, setting it aside. Skimming through several others, Riza then sat back. The silence was starting to get to her.

Normally, she was completely content with how quiet it was in the office. But today was different. Having been home for the past two day cleaning, she just got the strange need to want to be around other people. Feeling utterly restless, she got up and poured herself more tea from the lounge. Sitting once again, she started making notes on the reports that made them seem rather phony. Whether it was some error in the data, or different facts in a paragraph that contradicted each other; she'd figure out if the report was valid or not. Invalid reports would be given to the commanding officer, who would then report the issue to his superior. The chain would go so far up that even the Fuhrer got an occasional file. Most the time though, they could be solved and the perpetrator would then we demoted and court marshaled. Reports though invalid but found valid were passed on as if nothing happened. It was a rather simple process.

Voices carried up to the office from the hallway. She could picture exactly who it was that was coming towards the office. A smile graced her features as an image of one chain smoking subordinate popped into her head. That illustration was followed by three others. Laughter ensued from the four men as one of them must have told a joke. Shaking her head, the smile still on her face, Riza returned to reading the rest of the reports. The four men entered the room, each greeting their superior.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Kain Fury greeted with a salute. He ventured to his desk and started on his own work. Fury was the youngest in their party, and very good with the recent technology updates, he was extremely valuable. Sergeant Fury could easily repair any sort of device, particularly ones having to do with radios. Next to greet her was the most muscular of their team.

"Morning Lieutenant Hawkeye," Heymans Breda said, nodding as he flopped into his chair. Hey may not be as tall as Armstrong, but Riza was sure the second lieutenant was his shorter equivalent. A smirk appeared on her face as she noticed Black Hayate remaining asleep under her desk. That was a good thing since Breda was so afraid of the small pet.

"Morning, Hawk's eyes," Vato Falman addressed her with her field name. He had heard stories of the First Lieutenant's amazing stories about saving several of their co-workers. War stories about her markswoman abilities never ceased to astound him. Few women—or any woman for that matter—were as skilled as she with any gun.

"Morning, darlin'," Jean Havoc greeted, unlit cigarette in his lips. He was one of the only people that could address Riza as "Darlin'", especially at work. "You been here long?" he inquired informally. Havoc didn't see much of a reason to address her in such a manner like the rest of the subordinates in the building. Looking up from her report at Jean, Riza then turned her gaze back to the paperwork.

"Only since early this morning," she answered her long time friend. They had first met when she started attending school not long after moving to Central. His grandfather being a close friend to hers, they instantly tried to get them together as much as possible.

"Ah well, you'll probably be able to leave soon enough," Havoc muttered, sitting in his desk opposite hers.

"No, I won't. I still have to file these, and wait for the Colonel to come in to start his work… Along with signing off on our vacation days," she mentioned, saying it like it meant nothing. The guys all looked up at her, eyes widened.

"You'll seriously do that today! Wah! Please try and get me with vacation on a holiday!" Jean said quickly.

"What? You? What for?" Breda piped up.

"I'll probably have a girl then," Havoc said, nodding his head.

"Ha! I doubt that! You can't keep a girl for more than a week!" Falman added.

"Hey! I'll let you know Gracie and I were together for almost a month!" Havoc shouted, looking at all the rest of the men in the room.

"Was that before, or after she found you hanging off the neck of some whore?" Riza mentioned coolly. Jean's mouth dropped wide open, his cigarette falling to his desk. "Close your mouth Havoc, it's rude to stare," she added, not looking up. Shutting his mouth, Havoc looked at his superior.

"I'll have you know she wasn't a whore! She was a bar maid and was helping me home because I was drunk!" Havoc tried to explain.

"Keep saying that, Havoc. But you know as well as the rest of us you were completely drunk," Riza said calmly, closing the last file. "And that the bar maid was a whore." She stood and gathered the files, heading for the filing cabinets in the corner of the room. Havoc stared at her, mouth open in astonishment. He didn't want to admit she was right.

Her mind wandered, wondering when the Colonel would come in to work. _Probably a half hour before we can go home. Go figure_, Riza thought, sighing. She started to put away the files that didn't need Mustang's read through and third signature. Although, Riza had already taken care of the second signature. The first was hers, which said that a subordinate had read the file, corrected any inaccuracies, and then passed it on to a commanding officer. The second signature was written by her, but it was Roy's name. Place the last of the stack into the cabinets, she headed to her desk and just sat down when the door burst open.

A dark haired man stood in the doorway, strangely dripping wet. His subordinates all stared at him, wondering how in the world he could get wet on a sunny Saturday. Throwing off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack, the man stomped to his desk and sat down. Everyone hesitated, wondering what to say.

"What happened, Colonel?" Havoc inquired, talking around his cigarette. Roy looked up, shooting his friend a look of what appeared to be death.

"A woman was watering her flowers on her sill and dropped the bucket on me," Roy answered, glaring at Havoc and then to his desk.

"I'm sure it was an old girlfriend," Breda whispered, laughing quietly. Hearing the comment, Roy glared at his subordinate.

"At least I can keep a girlfriend," Roy retorted, crossing his arms. Breda blinked as the other subordinates snickered.

"You steal our girlfriends from us you womanizer! I bet the only girl you haven't gotten is Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Breda spat back. He then covered his mouth, realizing what just came from his mouth. "I-I mean… PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME!" The man put his hands up in submission. Hawkeye looked over at Breda, her face blank but her eyes saying something different. Taking her files she walked up to Roy's desk.

"Sir, there's a dry uniform in the closet. You can't get your paperwork wet," Hawkeye pointed out. "Colonel, these are the reports that are—"

"Ah, thank you Lieutenant," Roy said, getting up from his desk and moving to the closet. Opening the door he found the uniform in there, just as Hawkeye had said. Inspecting it, he nodded and took it.

"Excuse me, sir, but this is important," Riza piped up, watching Roy.

"Yes, yes, in a minute, Lieutenant. I want to go change first and then you can talk to me about that paperwork," Roy said, distracted with his uniform. Walking out of the room he headed for the bathroom. Shaking her head after her superior Hawkeye returned to her desk with the files she tried to explain to the Colonel. After several minutes of sitting patiently, Riza stood up.

"He's been gone too long," she stated, moving towards the door. Leaving the office, she could hear the other subordinates starting to whisper.

"Oh, he's going to get it now. I bet she's going to shoot off his bal—" Breda said, looking around at the other guys.

"Shooting off a man's assets is a big no, no. Although, it would not surprise me if she did so," Havoc mentioned, sitting back in his seat.

"Second Lieutenant, you've known Lieutenant Hawkeye for some time. Would she really do something like that?" Fury inquired, somewhat hesitant. Havoc took a drag on his cigarette, before removing it.

"It would not surprise me. I mean, her aim is fabulous. I wouldn't be surprised if she could take them off without him noticing. But, I never want to guess or doubt her. Might get my head blown off," Jean enlightened, replacing the cigarette in his lips. The other men nodded solemnly, not wanting to take any chances with their assets either.

Riza stormed down the hall; a woman on a mission. Reaching the men's bathroom, she paused briefly before entering. It was like any other bathroom, and surprisingly enough, clean. Most male bathrooms she had heard of reeked of smells that could not be eradicated; no matter how hard the janitorial staff worked. Roy stood at the sink, buttoning up his white over shirt.

"If there is any man in here that does NOT want to be shot, may he leave now if he is not Colonel Roy Mustang," Hawkeye announced, her voice echoing a bit in the bathroom. There was silence for several moments, in which a young private quickly exited. Roy glanced at Riza and then back to the mirror.

"You can't come in here! This is the men's restroom!" Roy shouted, looking at her.

"I'm sorry sir, but you seemed to be taking longer than needed to change ones uniform," Riza declared, her voice at a normal level. "It is rude to raise your voice when the person you are addressing is only a few feet from you," she added with a sigh. His mouth opened to say more, Roy sighed and finished buttoning up his shirt.

"What is it that you needed to come to me while I'm in dispose?" Roy asked, starting to tuck in his shirt.

"You have important paperwork, sir. Most importantly, a report from Edward Elric," Riza mentioned, turning on her heel and leaving the room. Mustang blinked, watching his Lieutenant leave before pulling on his jacket and heading after her.

"What's this report about?" Mustang inquired, catching up with her.

"A report from his last venture, I'm sure. He mentioned something along the lines of research, but no more than that. It is not my place to be reading his reports," Hawkeye murmured.

"But you read everyone else's reports that come into my office. Why is this one any different?" inquired the Colonel. He didn't see much of a difference between what Lieutenant Hawkeye read and didn't read. They all came through her and then to him, didn't they?

"Although Edward may dislike you, he at least knows what to write in those reports to make you interested," the First Lieutenant stated. Roy stopped, watching his subordinate head towards their office. Blinking several times, he then hurried to catch up with her.

"So these are important?" Mustang said, wanting confirmation.

"That _is _what I said, sir," Riza continued, opening the door to the office. The other men were slacking off, but that was something she expected in their office. They all got their work done, just at different speeds. Returning to her desk, she grabbed the files for the Colonel. Mustang sat at his desk, glad to finally be out of that wet uniform. "Edward sent these in. Their about his last bit of research," she stated, setting them on his desk. Nodding slightly, Mustang started flipping through the file, somewhat interested in what the 'shrimp' had to say. Setting them aside, he reached for the phone.

"Excuse me, sir. What are you doing?" Lieutenant Hawkeye inquired.

"I'm making a phone call," Roy said, looking at her as if it was obvious.

"I see that. But there is no reason to be using the phone. Even _if _it is to call one of those whores you and Havoc always go see," Riza answered, retreating to her desk.

"They are _not _whores! I don't pay them! I'm calling my girlfriend," Roy muttered.

"Which girlfriend sir? I thought they ALL dumped you?" came Riza's retort. Glaring at her, Roy put down the phone and started reading through the FullMetal's reports. He grumbled quietly, not at all interested in what Edward had to say.

"The longer you take to finish those, the less time you'll get on _any _date tonight," Riza brought up, reading threw a few things on her desk. For the most part, she was just reading the mail the military sent out. The mail she received from friends and family came to her apartment. Putting the letters away, she stood, taking her tea mug with her.

"Where are you going?" Roy questioned, finding it unfair that she was leaving. Riza turned at the door and looked at her commanding officer.

"I can leave if I want to, sir. _I've _finished my work," she answered, leaving the room with her cup. Roy glared at his desk, muttering incoherently. Grabbing his coffee cup, he took a drink before spitting out the liquid. His subordinates looked over at him, wondering what was wrong.

"Something wrong, sir?" Fury inquired, looking at Roy.

"This coffee is cold!" He said, wiping his mouth. The four men exchanged glances, blinking. Falman cleared his throat hesitantly to answer him.

"Colonel, sir. That's your coffee from yesterday," he mentioned, keeping his voice as calm as possible so as not to laugh at Mustang. Roy's eye twitched in annoyance. Pushing open the window behind him, he dumped the cold coffee out the opening. Standing suddenly, he left the room in a huff.

Mustang stormed down the hallway, heading for the small kitchen in the lounge. He hoped there was fresh coffee; he needed his caffeine fix for the day.

Upon entering the lounge, he noticed Riza at the counter, making her tea as usual. Shuffling over, Roy put his cup in the sink and let some water run through it, cleaning away some of the rings of coffee. Walking over to the coffee maker, he pulled out the pot and poured some in his now half clean cup.

"You should really wash out your cup, sir. It has coffee stains all over it," Riza pointed out, pouring in just a bit of sugar and some milk. Roy turned, facing his lieutenant and drank from the mug, just to spite her. Shaking her head Riza sighed. "If you get sick from it having germs on it, don't come whining to me," she said, taking her cup and heading for the door. "You wouldn't want to get sick and not be able to go on any dates," she added, smirking as she left.

Roy blinked, before spitting out the liquid he had sitting in his mouth. Dumping out the cup, he washed it with hot water and soap before pouring more coffee in it. Muttering about how right Riza was, Roy walked back towards the office.

x x x x x x

Riza stretched, feeling stiff from the long day. It may have been a half work day, but that didn't mean she went home when the rest of the soldiers did. No, the First Lieutenant stayed and continued to keep Colonel Mustang from leaving his work undone. Currently he was asleep behind his desk, when he claimed to be fixing the heater. Of course Riza knew the heater was working fine, she let him goof off, as she had taken his work to finish. She had plenty of his paperwork to finish, keeping much of it hidden in the larger drawers of her desk. Seeing that rain had started to fall, she stood and grabbed her jacket. The work she had left was packed into a box for her to take home and bring back tomorrow on their day off.

Leaving the office building briefly, Riza checked out a military vehicle to take herself, the work, and the Colonel home. Returning to the office, she walked over to Roy's desk, and dropped something on it, causing him to shoot up quickly.

"I'm working!" He said, pulling out his chair as if to work.

"The day is over and it is raining. Are you ready to go home, Colonel?" Riza asked flatly. She wasn't pleased that he had just spent the better part of four hours asleep while she slaved over his paperwork. Roy blinked, looking out the rain streaked window.

"Ah, I see," he muttered, walking over to the coat rack. Taking his jacket, Roy slid it on and noticed two boxes on his subordinate's desk. "Are you leaving me Lieutenant?" He blinked, thinking she might have gotten a transfer.

"No sir, I'm not," came her reply, as she picked up one of the boxes. Seeing her trying to grab the other one, he walked over and picked it up.

"Here, I'll help," he suggested, heading out the door with her following. "How far is your apartment from the Head Quarters?"

"We're taking a car sir. You can't do anything in the rain, so it's best you stay dry," she stated, staring straight ahead. Mustang nodded slightly, not taking too much of an offense from her words. They stepped into the rain, and down the steps where the car sat. Placing the files in the back seat (along with Black Hayate), Riza and Roy climbed in the car. Leaving the parade grounds, Riza headed for the Colonel's apartment, which she had taken him to many times.

"Lieutenant, why are you bringing home files?" Roy questioned, having noticed earlier that under the light cardboard top was paperwork. Her grip tightening on the steering wheel, Riza continued staring straight ahead as she drove.

"I was asked by another superior to finish them for him. I have time during our day off to do things for Monday," she lied. His mind wandered, recognizing several names of that paperwork as things given to him earlier this week. He figured he had finished them off, but if his subordinate was taking them home, there must be something he didn't do right.

"Why don't I help you? That is an awful lot of work for one person," he proposed, watching Riza's reaction. He saw her shift as if uncomfortable, before she at last settled once more.

"No sir, I'll be quite alright. You just have a relaxing weekend with the guys," she said, pulling up to his building. Roy blinked at her for several minutes, surprised she denied him so easily. "It's rude to stare sir." Feeling flustered at her comment, Roy stepped from the vehicle. Before closing the door, he smiled at Riza.

"It's hard to not stare at something so beautiful," he said, closing the door and entering his apartment building. Riza stared blankly at the windshield, completely caught off guard by the comment. As if having her feathers ruffled, Riza drove off, heading for her own apartment. She didn't see the smirk on Roy's face as he watched her drive off. Having seen her surprised look, he grinned to himself as he continued up the steps to his apartment.

Riza drove home, her mind racing. She didn't understand why he had to say such a thing as that. _There was no reason. It was completely uncalled for…_ she thought. _What if someone heard his comment? Then either of us could be tried for fraternization! He would never accomplish what he wanted!_ Clenching the steering wheel tightly, Riza pulled to a stop and shut off the car. She was sitting outside her own home, completely unsure what to do. Listening to the rain hit the windshield for several minutes, she finally made her way in the house with her dog, and both file boxes.

Changing into more comfortable clothing, Riza climbed into bed and slid under the blankets. She stopped, staring at Colonel Mustang's picture at her bedside. Her eyes wandered his features in the photo, even after she turned off the light and started to drift off to sleep.

x x x x x x

_A/N 2: Thanks again for reading! I shall try updating at least once a month, or every... two months? I'll hopefully get more of the story in and you'll find out more of her past... Although, it is jus what I think (and some of it is from the manga) . _

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I sure enjoyed writing it!  
Later days!  
:Flava Sava: _


	5. Of StickBall

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FMA, I just own my brain and story ideas.

_A/N: Sorry for such the long delay! I had a horrendous attack of writers block. It really sucked because I couldn't write ANYTHING. It didn't matter if it was a story I had started six months ago, or a new idea. I couldn't think of anything to write. _

_So, I finally sat down and wrote this out. And it sounds good to me, since I did promise to update more. _

_Without further adeau, please enjoy this chapter of Of Her Past. _

* * *

Riza blinked awake, hearing Black Hayate whine at her. She rolled over, not wanting to get up on her day off; this was the only day she could sleep in. He whined once more, before moving closer to her very carefully. Placing his paw several times on her shoulder, Hayate tried to pull off the blankets to get her to notice him. Hayate could tell Riza was awake; she _always_ woke up at the same time, no matter if she set her alarm clock or not. Most of the times she didn't have to set her alarm clock; Black Hayate did a good job at rousing her. Sighing in defeat, Riza pushed the covers down a bit to look at her pet. 

"Alright, I'm up. I'm up," she said, reaching out the scratch his head. The dog stood, walking in a circle before sitting back down next to her. Trying to express how badly he needed to go to the bathroom, and wanting to be fed, Hayate placed his paw on Riza's arm, whining. Smirking, Riza just watched him repeat the process, before finally flopping over on her and wiggling around to get her up. Laughing at him, Riza slid from the warmth of her bed and left her bedroom.

Jumping eagerly from the bed, Hayate followed her to the door so he could go answer nature's call. Leaving the door slightly open for him, Riza went about the kitchen, starting the kettle for tea and laying out the newspaper. She flipped through the first few pages, taking note of articles she might want to read later. Hearing Hayate reenter and close the door, Riza moved to get his food. It had taken her some time to train him how to close the door when he came in, but she had finally been able to do it. After quite a bit of firm discipline, followed by some well deserved treats, her pet had finally managed it.

Hayate padded over eagerly, hearing the kibble drop into his bowl. He crunched it all down, and then sat at Riza's feet, watching her eat her breakfast and tea. Finding her tea gone, Riza set the mug on the counter, and disappeared into her bedroom. Black Hayate followed her, jumping onto the bed and jumping around a bit, wanting to play. Grinning, Riza played with him a bit before leaving him to curl up in the covers so she could shower.

Leaving the hot water and drying off, Riza decided on casual dress for her day off. Sliding into her slippers, she grabbed her diary and headed for the living room. Stopping in the kitchen to refill her tea cup, Riza curled up on the couch, and opened to a new page.

_Dear Journal,_

_We've been here for almost a year. Daddy has been busy with his alchemy, and grandpa with his work. Thomas and Ben are busy with school; with this being Thomas' last year and Ben's second to last. Thomas wants to become a doctor, but both mom and dad don't want him to. I guess it's because of the rumor of rebellions. But that doesn't scare my big brother. I don't think anything does. _

_Jean and I are going to be in the same class next year too. I'm excited to stay with my best friend. He was the first person to talk to me. _

_We got a new boy in—_

x x x Back to her school daysx x x

"Hey Riza!" A voice called her, followed by several _ticks_ from pebbles hitting her window. Moving from her bookshelf to the window, Riza peered out. Looking down, she saw a group of boys gathered. Seeing her appear, Jean waved. "Come on! We're going to play stick ball!"

Waving, Riza grabbed her hat and rushed from the general's mansion; eager to join her friends. On their way to their normal playing grounds, the group chatted loudly. Easily making her way through the group of boys, Riza reached where Jean walked with the new boy in their class.

"There you are. I was wondering when you'd force your way up here," Jean laughed.

"It's not always that easy getting through this crowd," she retorted. Holding up his hands in surrender, Jean then gestured to the boy next to him.

"This is Roy Mustang. He's the new kid in our class. My mom wanted me to show him around," he explained.

"Mustang…? As in the horse?" She asked, looking at him.

"Yeah. Got something wrong with that?" Roy challenged. Smirking, Riza grabbed the bill of Roy's hat and pulled it down over his eyes.

"You better keep up, pony boy," she teased, grinning. Taking the bat from Jean, Riza ran ahead to the empty lot they used as a field. Some of the other boys followed, pulling out the junk items they used as bases.

Roy blinked, having never been teased by a girl. Jean watched Roy's face, trying to hide his laughter. "Is she always like that?" Roy blinked.

"Yeah. But that's what makes her great to hang out with. Come on, let's hurry up or else we'll end up on the wrong team." Jean walked ahead, leaving the stunned Roy in his wake.

The children separated into teams, and began to play. It being the beginnings of summer, they were able to play all day, except when they stopped for lunch.

"Hey pony boy! Try and hit something to get someone on base!" Riza yelled from her position on the bench. Roy glanced at her, shooting half a glare before turning back to the pitcher. She had been shouting things at him all day. For the most part, it was teasing him to at least get one hit. Watching the pitcher, Roy chose the time to swing as the ball came flying towards him. The ball suddenly went flying towards the adjacent building. Dropping the bat, Roy ran for first base.

The players ran about, trying to get the ball after it had bounced off the building wall and made its way around the small grass area. Riza and Jean both watched Roy race towards second, diving to make it before the ball. He stood, dusting himself off as the ball made it back to the pitcher instead. A few more hits were made, and soon Roy had made it back to home plate. Passing by Riza as they all headed out onto the field to switch, he 'bumped' into her.

"How was that for a hit?" He grinned, trying to get some reaction from her. Jean stopped; wanting to make sure the confrontation wouldn't get out of hand.

"You could have gotten it out of the park, pony boy. Try harder next time," she answered, turning to head to position. Roy sighed, glancing at Jean and heading out to the field with him.

"Why is she like that? I managed to get on base," Roy started to fume. Jean shrugged, trying to think of what to say.

"I can't tell you how many times she's done that to the rest of us. But hey, she's still cool. The only girl I know that will actually play competitively with all us guys. You have to give her props there," Jean mentioned.

"But you saw the house she came from! The General's mansion! That makes her high class if one of her parents is the general," Roy exclaimed.

"It's her grandpa, Roy. He's a general; her dad is just a state alchemist. They chose to live together to save on costs. And besides, do you think she is high class they way she's playing with us?" Roy nodded, seeing Jean's point.

"Hey pony boy! Less talking, more playing!" Riza shouted from her spot as shortstop. Jean laughed, punching Roy's shoulder before heading to where he was at third base. The game continued well into the evening, as the sun started to set. Everyone packed up, heading home for dinner before the street lights came on.

Waving to Jean, Riza headed up the walk to her house. Stopping at the steps, Riza turned and faced them. "Oh pony boy! Work on your throwing! Maybe then we'll win!" She tormented, before turning up the steps and going into the house.

Roy stared at disbelief before turning and heading off. Jean smirked, following Roy's wake. "Calm down Captain. She's totally joking with you," he said, addressing Roy as a leader. Mumbling, he continued on, slowing down to let Jean catch up. "Just give her a chance Roy. She's cool, and you know it." Watching Roy go up the steps to his house, Jean waved and headed into his own.

x x x Back on the Couch x x x

—_our class. He's really kind of weird. His last name reminds me of a horse; although it is mustang. But he's sort of like one of those arrogant horses. Jean seems to like him though, so I guess I like him too. _

_Riza_

Riza couldn't help but laugh. She remembered Roy's old nickname. _Hmm… I should bring that up in the office and see what he does_. Smiling to herself, Riza took a sip of her tea. She had completely forgotten that she had met Roy in elementary school. From there they remained as competitive friends, with Jean being the one to separate them when things got too out of hand. Shaking her head, Riza closed the journal and set it aside. Drawing the blanket around her, Riza curled up next to Black Hayate; thinking about how much she had teased her now superior.

"Ah, the good times," she murmured, amused with her memories. Closing her eyes, Riza drifted into her memories; reminiscing.

* * *

_The next chapter will hopefully be up before the New Year. I'm thinking that the next chapter I'll have it been when Riza as a teen, as it feels her childhood is passing by uber slowly. Besides, I want to get to the good parts of the rest of the story. _

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!  
Please read and review! It would greatly help me out if you told me any improvements I could make on any of the chapters, or my writing in general!  
Later days,  
:Flava Sava:


	6. Of A Day Off?

**Disclaimer:_ I do not own FMA. If I did, I'd make sure there was WAY more Royai_. **

_A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait, but this isn't THAT far off from my last update. I finally got an idea, and it really made me laugh writing this. One of my longest chapters yet! _

_I'd like to Thank all of my reviewers! You guys rock for being able to wait so long for my updates! An infinite amount of Thank You's to everyone that has stuck with me, and this story. Or any of my stories. _

_Please enjoy this chapter! I shall hopefully update again, soon!_

* * *

Finishing her tea, Riza returned to the kitchen, washing the mug to be used the next day before work. Drying her hands, she glanced at Black Hayate, seeing him scratch at the back door, and then turn to look at her. Sighing, she muttered something about 'having a small bladder'. Tilting his head to look at her, Black Hayate scratched the door again, whining.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," she said, walking over and pulling open the door. The dog sprung from his spot, dashing into the yard. He chased away some birds, barking twice for good measure before going about his own business. "Close the door when you come back!" Riza shouted to him, heading to her room.

Tonight was poker night for the guys, which meant beer, and smoke. Sure, Havoc was the only one that smoked on these nights, but that doesn't mean some of the guys didn't try. _Great, smoke. Just what I need, to kill myself with their dumb habits._ Shaking her head, Riza changed into her uniform, knowing she was going to go in, despite the fact it was her day off. Zipping up her jacket, she whistled twice, hearing Black Hayate's claws _tick_ on the wood floor before being silenced by the carpet.

"Come on boy, we've got work to do," she said, walking out to the front hall. Shouldering her bag, Riza left with Black Hayate.

It was a short walk to the office, which was nice for Riza. But of course, she never went directly to the base. She always stopped, chatting with those she had gotten to know in the community. After moving here from the Eastern Headquarters, she quickly settled in and worked on meeting her neighbors.

All the houses around her understood how demanding her job was; many invited her to dinner and various other events in which they figured she couldn't attend with her family. At first, she was hesitant to accept, but once she finally had, she realized she was accepted into a larger family that helped her whenever and whatever the need.

"Riza! Good morning!" A woman called from her shop door. "Getting an early start?" Smiling, Riza approached.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Just want to get a jump ahead on this weeks work," she replied. "How's the arthritis treating you, Mrs. Johansen?"

"Oh, it comes and goes. That tea you suggested really helps my aches when I feel at my worst," Mrs. Johansen answered. "Thank you so much for mixing it for me. I just love drinking it so much. I have at least three cups a day." Riza smiled, glad to have helped.

"It is some pretty strong stuff. I like to have it on my bad days too. Although some days it's almost close to five cups when I _really_ need it," Riza said, winking. "Well, I should get going. A lot of paperwork to be done."

"Yes, yes, you should be going. I've kept you long enough. Come by for a cup or two when you want, dearie!" Waving as she walked on, Riza glanced at Black Hayate after hearing his groan.

"I know you hate her cat, but you'll have to deal with it. Besides, it's not like it hurts you or anything. You're larger than that flea carrier anyway," Riza said, dropping a treat from her pocket to him. Catching it eagerly in his mouth, Black Hayate followed closely behind her.

Going through the gates and up the steps, Riza grabbed the paperwork waiting for her unit on the front desk. Her steps echoed through the hallway, followed by the _tick_ of Black Hayate's claws. Slipping her keys from her jacket pocket, Riza unlocked the office door and flicked on the lights. The room was empty as usual, besides the desks, chairs, filing cabinets and coat rack. Dividing up the paperwork, Riza placed them on the desks as she passed by towards the Colonel's office.

Opening the door, she rolled her eyes, seeing the room was a mess, how he always seemed to leave it. Moving to his desk she set the papers down; aware of all the loose sheets spread about the room. Sighing, she began to clean the mess, muttering at how irresponsible he was. Glancing at her desk just outside the door, Riza placed the old papers neatly in the 'OUT' box, and returned to her own work space.

Black Hayate had curled up on his bed under her desk, knowing the routine. Going to the coffee maker in the corner, Riza began to heat up some water for another cup of tea. Returning to her desk, Riza pulled out her journal and flipped to a later entry.

_Dear Journal,_

_So, girls should have friends that are mostly girls right? Is it weird that all of my friends are guys? I mean, I get along with them way better than girls. All of the girls at my school are obsessed about how they look and all sorts of weird stuff. Go figure I hear my name whispered by them. But who really cares? Pony boy and Jean are both searching for a job; for the most part they want to get into the military. Pony boy's new friend is obsessed with his girlfriend. It's ridiculous. All he ever does is show us—_

x x x High School x x x

"Would you like to see pictures of my girlfriend?!" The older boy inquired, almost tackling the three as they came down the steps of the school. He brandished pictures at them, moving as if he were drunk.

"Maes, we really don't need to see more pictures. We've seen enough," Roy muttered.

"We've seen every picture you could possibly take. Well, except if you two ever—" Jean started but was immediately cut off by Riza's hand to the back of his head. "OW! God Riza! I was kidding!"

"You better be. I don't want you giving him any ideas. Hughes has enough pictures as it is! We don't need ones that could knock out an innocent bystander," Riza said, rolling her eyes.

Hughes pouted, crossing his arms as he joined them to the walk towards their homes. "That is a good idea, Jean. I can't wait to show you those. That is, when we get around to doing such activities," he smirked. Roy laughed, seeing the look on Riza's face.

"Something wrong, hawkie? Disgusted by us already?" Riza looked at Roy, hearing his comment.

"If I was so disgusted by you, Pony boy, I would have left a long time ago. Besides, the only real disgusting thing is when I have to see you in the morning. If I had known you'd look that horrible after waking up, I'd bring sunglasses more often," Riza retorted, walking ahead of them.

Hughes and Jean both exhaled, shaking their heads. "Whew, is she one tough little spitfire, Roy. Why you find such a thing attractive I'll never know," Hughes said, shaking his head. "I'd have given up by now."

"She's not _that_ bad, I've known her since they first moved here ten years ago. Once you get to know her, or at least _stay_ on her good side, she's actually a lot better," Jean said, glancing at Roy once he said 'stay'.

"Yeah, whatever. You can go rot with the lot of girls going to our school that don't think. Enjoy the flames Jean," Roy muttered.

"Answer us truly Roy. Why do you like her?" Hughes brought up. Sighing, Roy ran his hand through his hair.

"Her grandfather and father are both in the military. If I want to become a State Alchemist and get a good recommendation, I have to befriend one of them," Roy explained. "Besides, trying to become a State Alchemist without getting to know one of them could kill my career instantly."

"So this is just purely beneficial for your career? Nothing, more than that?" Hughes inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

Jean and Hughes nodded, glancing at each other and sharing a brief smirk before returning their attention to the blonde walking way ahead of them. There had to be some way to get their best friend in with her.

"She's way out of your league," Jean stated bluntly. "Even trying to get you two together will be a challenge."

"Thanks for the support Jean. I'm glad you really care," Roy glared. He walked faster, starting to catch up with Riza. "Hey Hawkie! Get that stick out your ass and slow down! Running from us won't work!" Hughes stared at Roy, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"He's not going to win her that way," Jean muttered, walking past Hughes. "He's going to never get a girl talking like that." He continued towards home with Hughes, leaving Roy and Riza.

"What on earth could you want, Pony boy? Oh wait, let's call you Pony Ass instead! Seems to suit you better anyway," Riza shouted, moving faster.

"You know you don't want to ditch us. Besides, we're the only friends you got," Roy said, keeping up.

"You could to create an alchemy circle to make yourself invisible. That would help me greatly. I'm sick of seeing you some days," Riza continued. Roy reached out, catching her arm. She stopped, feeling his hand on her wrist. "Let go."

"Riza, wait. Just wait, okay? Look, I have a favor to ask," Roy said, keeping his grip on her arm.

"A favor? From Pony boy? Wow, you must really be desperate for a date," Riza muttered.

"No, it's not that. I was wondering if you could introduce me to your father," Roy said, carefully choosing his words.

"What? Like as my boyfriend? No! He'd flip! Go find someone else to introduce you!"

"Not like that! God, let me explain first!" Roy exclaimed, frustrated. "I want to become an apprentice of your dad. I want him to teach me everything he knows about alchemy," Roy sighed. "With a war on the verge of exploding, I want to be prepared to do my part and help out," Roy explained.

Riza stared at him blankly. She had never met a guy that just wanted to train under her father. Most of the times, the guys she met wanted her. Her mind reeled, trying to think exactly how he would react knowing his 'little girl' had a 'boyfriend'. _Using the words _boy _and_ friend _in the same sentence with dad would be the dumbest thing in the world._

"Alright, fine. Come with me, and I'll introduce you to my dad. He doesn't come home until dinner, so you can stay for dinner," Riza said. _I have no choice do I?_ Taking her hand from Roy, Riza started walking with him towards The General's Mansion.

Roy looked at the house, slightly nervous. He couldn't be tense talking to her father. It would be horrible to look all edgy when he really wanted this position. "So, when is your father supposed to be home?" He inquired, choosing his words carefully.

"Around dinner. Should be at six thirty or so," she answered.

"Are… Are we here alone?" Roy asked looking at Riza's back.

"Sort of. My brothers are probably around here somewhere. My mom is off shopping or something," came her answer, as they headed up the stairs. "We'll do our studying, and then get a snack." Roy swallowed, his throat feeling tight. An hour of snacking and three hours of studying later, Roy sat at the dinner table, feeling awkward.

"So, you're Riza's friend," Thomas said, eyeing Roy.

"Yeah. We're classmates, and we've known each other since we were in elementary school," Roy explained.

"And you're choosing to be with her for what sorts of reasons? I mean, what're your views for the future?" Ben inquired, looking at Roy.

"Ben. Knock it off," Riza hissed.

"Well, I'm hoping to become an apprentice of your—" He was cut off by two people entering the dining room.

"Sorry I'm late. Paperwork is hell these days," Bryan said, taking his seat along with his father. He glanced around the table, his eyes stopping on Roy. "Well, we have a guest among us. Bryan Hawkeye, and you are, young man?"

"Roy Mustang, sir. I'm friends with your daughter," Roy said, trying to mask his nervousness.

"A boy, friends with my Rizzie-girl?" General Grumman said.

"Well, we're classmates and friends through Jean Havoc," he said.

"Roy's here to see you, pop. Maybe Elizabeth will finally get married!" Ben laughed with Thomas. Riza glared at her brothers, mentally thinking how many ways she could kill them if they continued to be rude or embarrass her.

"I was wondering if I could become your apprentice, sir. You're the best Flame Alchemist the military has ever seen. I'd love to learn your art," Roy said, looking at Bryan. It was quiet for several minutes; all the members of the Hawkeye family staring at the head of the family, waiting for his reply.

"Well, how can I not accept? Such a determined boy, and if Riza likes you as a friend, then I know you must be great," Bryan said, grinning. "I accept you as my apprentice, Roy Mustang.

"Welcome to the Hawkeye family, my boy," General Grumman joked, elbowing Roy.

x x x Back in the Office x x x

—_pictures of her. I swear, if I ever have a boyfriend like that, I'll kill him myself. There is no reason to have a guy be _that_ obsessed!_

_Riza _

Riza laughed, remembering what happened that night. _Grandpa gave him such a hard time. _Shaking her head, Riza smiled, looking at the page several times. Someone clearing their throat made her slam the little book closed. Looking up, she noticed the guys all standing in front of her desk.

"What ya readin', darlin'?" Havoc inquired, sitting on her desk.

"Nothing. Just waiting for you all to meet me here. We are still on for poker tonight right?"

"Why wouldn't we be? I mean, come on, beating these guys in poker? That's a synch," Breda laughed, moving to his desk. "We're just gonna wait for you to tell us what you're reading."

"It's nothing," she said sternly. "Let's go alright? We have poker, beer and food to get to," Riza said.

"Amen to that sistah!" Havoc said, moving off her desk. The other guys headed out, chatting up a storm. Riza slipped the book into her bag, and walked with Jean from the office door. "Still writin' in that thing?"

"I'm allowed to write where I want. Besides, this is more like reminiscing," she smirked, elbowing his side.

"Well, sorry for askin'. I was curious. I saw you scribble in that thing during the war. I have a right to ask," Havoc said, laughing.

"Yeah well, that doesn't mean you have to ask about it. It's all personal."

"Personal my ass. You write about me, 'cause you know you can't resist me," Jean grinned. "Or is it Mustang you're still obsessed over?"

"How do you remember that? I told you that in secrecy!" She said, hitting his shoulder.

"Hey! A guy's allowed to remember what he wants! It may be selective hearing, but I do listen to virtually everything you say," he pointed out.

"Yeah. I couldn't ask for a better best friend," Riza said, hugging him with one arm.

"Well alright. Maybe this way you could hook me up with one of your lady friends. I am running out of girls that I can hide from Roy," Havoc mentioned, putting his arm around Riza.

"I'll see what strings I _can_ pull. But don't expect miracles," she laughed.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (writing it). Thanks for all of your support!_

Please read and review! I love to recieve reviews because I love to reply to them!  
:Flava Sava:


	7. Of Poker night

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA, alright? I just own my plot ideas**

_A/N: Wow! Another chapter in just two days! Crazy! _

_Well, I really wanted to write this chapter, and since I had it on my mind, I just went ahead. _

_Please enjoy reading, and leave a review! I love answering your reviews, and getting all your feedback!_

* * *

They continued towards Roy's stopping at a small store to pick up more food and of course beer. The other guys walked ahead of Riza and Jean, laughing at their own perverted jokes while the two chatted. Jean and Riza had always gotten along really well together, the whole office knew it. Breda glanced back at them, elbowing Fury and Falman. 

"Five bucks says the two of them dated once," he whispered, a grin appearing on his face. Fury blinked.

"No, last time I bet against you, I lost my money for the whole month!" Fury stated.

"You lost your money to me. Both you and Breda," Falman smirked. "I wouldn't mind being able to take my girlfriend out to a nice restaurant again."

"No, I am not betting!" Fury shook his head, crossing his arms.

"Aww, come on Fury. If you're right, then you'll get money," Breda said, elbowing him.

"No. I'm already going to lose money to you guys at poker. Why lose my money before we _actually_ play?"

"Oh, he has a point there. I'm not betting either. I want to be able to at least eat," Falman said.

"Man, you guys are no fun. It's just a little wager," Breda mumbled.

Riza shook her head, hearing the men ahead of them betting on something. She continued walking with Havoc's arm around her. Sure it might look a bit suspicious, but they were really good friends; nothing more. Havoc had his normal cigarette between his lips, talking around it like he always did. His ability to talk with it in his mouth astounded her; it rarely fell, no matter what he said. That cigarette, or at least one of them, was always dangling from his mouth. Smirking at him, she reached up and pulled it from his lips.

"Hey! That's mine!" He protested.

"Jean, this is such a bad habit. You should quit. Then your clothes wouldn't reek, and _maybe_ one of my friends would go out with you," Riza said, dropping the little addiction stick to the ground and crushing it with her foot as they walked. Havoc blinked at her, surprised that she would do _such_ a cruel thing. Reaching into his pocket, Jean pulled out his pack and popped another cigarette between his lips. Rolling her eyes, Riza shook her head. "If you kill yourself with one of those, I will not go to your funeral."

"Of course you will darlin'. You're too good of a friend to not attend," Jean grinned, continuing with his habit.

"Sadly, I will go despite the fact that I'm watching you kill yourself with those," Riza said, looking towards the sky.

"See, I knew it! You would come," Havoc beamed in victory.

"Hey! Lovebirds! You coming in the apartment or not?!" Breda yelled to the two still out on the sidewalk. Glancing at each other, Riza and Jean both laughed, heading up the steps after the others.

"Lovebirds my ass. We're childhood friends," Havoc retorted. "It's more like Riza and Roy," he muttered only to Riza. Hearing him, she brought her elbow back right into his gut.

"You like remaining male right?" She hissed, shooting a glare at him.

"Yes ma'am! Male through and through! Why if I wasn't male, I'd be a eunuch," he joked.

"Then shut up," she said, continuing up the stairs to Roy's apartment. The group gathered outside his door, chatting loudly.

"Open the door, Roy! Come on, we got all the stuff for poker night!" Breda called loudly, banging on the door twice.

"Hold on! I'll be right there!" Came a voice from within. After several minutes the door opened and there stood Roy. "Come on in guys. Let's get this game started." Opening the door wider, Roy headed in further, followed by his 'guests'. Everyone entered, Jean closing the door with his foot as his hands were full with food Riza had passed to him. "Set the food on the counter, and beer in the fridge," Roy instructed, reaching into one of the boxes and pulling out a bottle. He made his way over to the table, taking his usual seat and watched the others set up.

Riza slid off her jacket, revealing her normal brown short-sleeve turtle neck. Hanging her jacket off her chair, along with her bag, Riza slid into her seat. The guys finished setting up; grabbing the beers and some chips for everyone they all took their seats.

"Alright gentlemen, and lady," Jean said, glancing at Riza before continuing. "The game is called five-card draw. Any bets upfront before we start?" Everyone mostly just sat there, eating chips or drinking their beers. "Well, then let's get this game started," he said, starting to deal out the cards.

For the most part, they chatted, discussing work, and other topics. The room was filled with smoke as Havoc and the other guys smoked some of the cigarettes. Riza declined, finding the smell and taste atrocious. Laughing at her, the guys continued with their perverted banter; having changed the subject to girlfriends, and recent hookers.

"Why pay to get laid? Oh wait, it's probably because none of you could with just yourselves. You have to pay for pleasure," Riza said, taking a swig of her beer. She smirked, looking down at her cards and placing in her bet.

"Like hell we could! Why, Roy here has probably sacked a truckload of women, right?" Breda said, elbowing the Colonel. He glanced at Breda, shooting a small glare before returning his attention to the cards.

"Yeah whatever. Just means he can't win a woman with just his charm. He had to go to the hookers. Poor Pony Boy," Riza grinned.

"I'll have you know, Hawkeye I can probably get a man before you get one," Roy slurred.

"Oh? Is the Colonel suddenly swinging both ways?" She smirked, seeing his confusion.

"No! I'm just saying, have you ever been with a man Riza? Like actually _been_ with one?" Roy inquired, taking a rather large sip of his beer. She fell silent, staring at him.

"I fold," she said, dropping her cards on the table. Grabbing her jacket, she slipped it on.

"What? Come on Hawk, he was joking," Breda said, watching her with the others.

"It's been a lovely evening gentlemen, but it's late, and I want to get some sleep. We still have work tomorrow," she said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. Black Hayate got up sleepily, and trotted after her. The door closed with a click, and the two walked down the hall.

"Smooth move Roy. Make her angry. She's definitely going to castrate you tomorrow if you slack off," Breda muttered, taking a sip of beer. Havoc watched the door, knowing there was something more. He stood, taking his own jacket and heading for the door.

"I'm gonna make sure she makes it home alright," he said, leaving before anyone could protest.

The other three turned, glaring at Roy. He had ruined their game once again; his partially drunken self always said the wrong things.

"Nice going, Mustang. Scare her off, and you don't even go after her," Falman muttered, crossing his arms. Fury shook his head, glancing at the door before setting his cards on the table.

"She is right, we do have work tomorrow. I'm going to head home too," Fury said, standing. The group slowly dispersed, leaving Roy to clean up the mess. A knock at his door stopped his clean-up. Shuffling to the door, he pulled it open, seeing Havoc.

"Come to yell at me too, Jean?" Roy said, letting him in.

"No, I came to check on you. After saying such a thing, I'm surprised she didn't come back and kill you," Havoc said, starting to help Roy clean the mess.

"I didn't think she'd take it so literally," he muttered, looking into the garbage bag through his drunken stupor.

"Well, think before you speak next time. You remember the girl we both grew up with? She died sometime after joining the academy. Now whether it was the war that killed that personality, or the discipline, she's still not the same girl," Jean said, looking at Roy.

"None of us are the same, Jean. After what happened back then, everyone changed." Roy continued staring into the garbage bag. Shaking his head, Havoc continued cleaning, soon joined once more by Roy.

X x x With Riza x x x

Riza shook her head, surprised Roy would say such a thing. _Why would he ever—?! Does he not think?_ Her mind reeled, trying to forget her memories and his words.

"That jerk! God, why must he be so rude! Thoughtless, insensitive, little—" She fumed, falling silent as she pushed open the gate to her yard. The whole walk to her house seemed a lot shorter when she was angry. Entering her house, Riza went into the kitchen and made tea, trying to calm herself. Her hands were shaking as her memories continued to flood her thoughts.

"I won't go back to that night. I've put it all behind me. Every. Last. Thought," she said, slamming a tea mug down on the counter. She winced, hear it break. "Great," she muttered, throwing the pieces in the garbage. Pulling out another mug, Riza quickly made up her tea, holding the full cup before her. It trembled, the shaking from her hands seeming to get worse. _The door's locked. I locked it myself_. Trying to reassure herself wasn't easy.

Turning to head to bed, Riza stiffened, hearing a noise outside her kitchen window. _Raccoon. It's just that damn raccoon. Or, it could be someone.._. Of course what ones mind thought and what the reality was were two different things.

"No, it's the raccoon. If it's not, I'm prepared," she whispered, returning to the task at hand. Black Hayate watched his master curiously, his head slightly tilted to the side. He was wondering what she was doing, acting all jumpy. Normally she wasn't this way.

Walking past the front window, Riza froze, thinking she saw something move. _It's nothing_. Shaking her head, she continued towards the hall, hoping to at least make it to bed where she knew she'd be safe. The _tick_ of Black Hayate's claws echoed her own footfalls, making her more aware of just how quiet it was in the house. A loud _thud _startled her, making Riza actually jump. Her hand immediately went for her gun, drawing it quickly. Setting the tea cup on a small nook in the hall, she moved towards the front room, listening.

Peering around the corner, Riza continued to stay alert, watching for anything to move inside or outside. Black Hayate stood next to her, his hair rose slightly, having heard the sound also. Glancing down at him, she gestured for them to move to the kitchen. The two carefully made their way through the living room, and into the kitchen. She stared at the window, walking towards it cautiously. Hayate growled, low and deep in his throat.

Taking one last step so that she was adjacent to the window, Riza peered out, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Another _thud_ made her jump back, her socked feet slipping on the wood floor. Moving her arm behind her to catch herself, she soon felt a sharp pain shoot up her hand and wrist.

"Ah!" She shouted, falling to the floor bringing the hot kettle with her. The water poured out quickly, a steaming hot puddle soon covering the floor, and soaking into her pants. Riza winced, clutching her hand. Looking at her palm she saw exactly what that pain was from. The stove, still hot from boiling the kettle, had burned her. Black Hayate padded over to her, whimpering.

"Shhhh… it's alright boy. I just burned my hand on the stove, because I'm scared of nothing," Riza muttered, pushing herself up. Turning on the faucet, Riza carefully placed her hand under it and started to cool the water slowly, trying to chill the burn. Stopping the water, Riza wrapped her hand in a towel and made her way to the bathroom, putting her gun back in its holster. Pulling out the various bandages, Riza quickly cleaned her hand, treated the wound, and bandaged it.

"Time for bed. I'm tired," she muttered, walking to her room and changing into her pajamas. Curling up under the blankets, Riza cuddled next to Black Hayate, wanting his warmth. Maybe his body heat would help her sleep; it would help her chase away the memories. After having such a rough night already, she knew she'd be paranoid all night; letting her get little hours of sleep.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! You'll learn more about why she was so offended by Roy's comment and what she means by '_that_' night. It shall all make sense once I write the next chapter! Its been like... 6 months in the making. The one chapter I'm dreading of writing cause I don't think I can write it. _

_Also, you might have noticed the rating changed. I did such because from here on, the chapters might get more graphic, what with all sorts of battles coming up, and an interesting view on why Riza is a different women than who she was as a kid. _

_Please review! It would greatly help me to hear your feedback! _

_Thank you for reading! And please stay tuned for the next installment of "Of Her Past". _

_Later days!  
:Flava Sava:_


	8. Of Sleep Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. **

_A/N: Welcome to chapter 8! Its quite a chapter! Not too long as I wish it could have been, but I'm really hit with writer block, so I had to cut it a bit short. Most of this chapter is flashback, because well, Riza's sleeping. _

_Enjoy this chapter of 'Of Her Past'. Please read and review! _

* * *

Riza tossed in her sleep, her memories hounding her. Hayate lay next to Riza, watching her restless form. He whimpered several times, wondering if that would wake her. Not having very much luck, he lay back down, watching her with worry.

x x x Nightmares x x x

Riza sighed, aiming carefully at the target. She fired five rounds, seeing them all pierce the vital portions of the human shaped cardboard. Exhaling, she fired again. These drills bore her, as every day it was always the same thing. If she wasn't a woman, she'd probably have moved on. But apparently, her most recent shooting report was 'inadequate'. _That's a load of bull_. Her targets were some of the cleanest on the range; each bullet actually hitting the smallest circles on the target. Glancing back, she stood, saluting quickly as her drill officer stood behind her.

"Do it again. With a new target," he said, nodding his head slightly.

"Yes sir," she said, signaling for a new target. Taking her normal stance, Riza took aim and fired once more. She saw each bullet pierce exactly where she wanted. Emptying her clip, she stood and saluted her commanding officer once more.

"Very good," he answered, writing down something on his assistants clipboard. "Dismissed." Saluting him once more, Riza left after he moved on to the next cadet. She headed for her barracks, keeping her gun at her side.

Mentally she hoped that 'Very good' meant she could actually move on to more of a challenge. It was already getting dark; it seemed the sun started setting earlier each day. That or the fires from the east created enough smoke to make it seem dark. None the less, Riza knew her duty for patrol around the base would arrive before she knew it. Pushing open the door, she trudged to her bunk. The female barrack was small, housing barely 15 women; the men's barracks housed at least 30.

Taking out the case that held her beloved sniper, Riza went through her normal routine of cleaning it. She cleaned everything, taking the gun apart and then putting it back together. It worked perfectly every single time. Her movements as she cleaned never slowed; her hands knew what to do. With each piece spread out before her, Riza then carefully put it all back together; being sure she wasn't forgetting a thing. Checking through the sight, Riza pulled the trigger, hearing the proper _click_ of an empty gun. Dismantling the sniper into three pieces, she slid the case under her bunk.

Her ear caught the whisper of the other women; all returning from their own jobs of the day. She was one of the few that _actually_ participated in the frontline training. Many of the other women had desk jobs, or simple tasks that really any brainless person could do. In the back of her mind, she called the lucky; and other times, hopeless. _How would they ever know what to do in case of an attack? Let alone an emergency here at the base, _she thought, shaking her head as she pushed the sniper case below her bed.

"Have fun at the shooting range, Hawkeye?" One woman asked, looking over from where she was flopped on her bunk.

"Hopefully this time I can move up to a tougher class. This process of putting me through everything I already know isn't helping this training pass any faster. Apparently I'm on the 'fast-track'," Riza answered, rolling her eyes. "'Fast-track'. That's a whole truck load of bullshit." The other officer laughed.

"I'm sure you'll move up quickly though. Word is you got the only 'Very good' out of the whole review today. But that's just what the men are muttering about. I think they're all jealous," the woman replied. Riza laughed.

Stretching, she heard her back pop several times. Cracking her neck, Riza grabbed her jacket and slid it on. This training was very lax, letting the trainees wear mostly their pants and shirts without jackets. _It makes it easier to move, that's for sure_. Checking her belt for her gun, Riza then walked for the door.

"Don't wait up for me. I have patrol tonight," she said, waving over her shoulder.

Walking the rounds was a menial task. All officers hated the task, having to spend a large portion of their night walking among the barracks and warehouses was not their idea of fun. Most of the time, the officers faked it, or gathered their bunk mates to help them. It seemed to make time pass faster when there were more than just a few officers on duty at the time. On a regular basis, two officers from every barrack—except for the women's—were out on patrol; five male barracks and one woman's. It wasn't a fair compromise, but apparently it was the only way the military heads actually felt safe. Apparently it was a man's world; and the women of the military weren't exactly trusted.

A sigh escaping her lips, Riza walked down one of the roads. She kept the same pattern in mind every time she had to walk this patrol. Her shift only lasted six hours, but it was still _six_ grueling hours in the cold night. Or at least, that's what it seemed the newer officers complained about. In her mind, a job was a job, no matter how lowly it may seem. As she walked, she nodded to another officer as they passed. Everyone seemed to keep the same route. Some nights they would stop and chat; having a chance to actually catch up with each other.

Turning the corner, Riza noticed the lone warehouse light. Her eye twitched at the annoyance. _The maintenance crew should be informed of these things. _

"Fools; can't get the job done when need be," she muttered. In her mind, the maintenance crew did very little. She had never really seen them do more than repair down phone lines, and various other forms of broken communication. Light repair seemed to be told to deaf ears. Then again, any repair that the women reported seemed to not be heard completely. Sure, someone would come out, but the problem wouldn't be fixed for several days. By then, normally one of them had figured out how to fix it themselves; their own ingenuity coming to use.

Her feet carried her along this route at a steady pace; every 20 minutes she'd restart at the same place. She'd pass the dark road 18 times before her shift was over. "Peachy…" she griped.

After quite some time, Riza had taken to watching the stars. Little happened during the night hours. The occasional dog or bat sounds, maybe an officer returning from his day out with his wife. There were numerous reasons as to why officers were out besides on patrol. Glancing down at her watch, Riza stopped at the dark road. Her eyes focused on the light, seeing it start to flicker. This wasn't exactly the great night of relaxing she had hoped for before having to come out and walk this repetitive path. If the exam hadn't taken so long, she would have had a few hours to herself. But no, of course something had to hold the examiner up; whether it be a soldier that just had poor skill, or what, it had taken too long.

Continuing down the road, Riza watched the light flicker. It amused her seeing such a sad sight. Her boots crunched on the dirt and gravel, echoing slightly. Just as she was quite a ways from the light, a sudden force sent her into one of the alleys. Stumbling to catch herself, Riza winced hitting a crate. Turning to see what it was, she was suddenly grabbed from behind and forced to the wall.

"Well, look who we've got here," the voice said into her ear. He kept a firm grip on her, surprising her with his strength as he easily took her gun and threw it aside. Her mind raced, trying to identify the voice. It sounded slightly muffled; this man was hiding himself. A man she could definitely tell her attacker was; an odd feeling at her rear, and the low rumble of his voice confirmed that. Struggling she felt herself shoved against the wall again.

"I wouldn't want you to escape lit'le missy. After all, I wouldn't want anyone to find out about this little endeavor," he whispered, pushing himself closer to her.

Riza could feel a dull ache already starting in her head. The brick had cut into it; the throbbing in her skull could prove it. Wincing, she tried to pull some maneuver to at least free her hands. Once more, the man slammed her against the wall, keeping her pinned. Bringing up her foot slightly, Riza kicked up as hard as she could backwards. It seemed to serve its purpose, sending him stumbling backwards. Taking this opportunity, Riza stumbled for the entrance dazedly. Just as she started to see the light at the end, she had the air knocked from her lungs as she hit the ground. His weight on her made it hard for her to regain her breath.

The two struggled for some time, each fighting their own. A quick punch to her face and Riza's pain increased. She could taste blood in her mouth after a second hit landed. His body had easily pinned her; his hand beating her into semi-consciousness. The cold night air suddenly hit her, but she couldn't figure out why. Her ears picked up sounds: the shuffle of clothing after the slide of a zipper, the grunting of the man before her liking what he saw. Riza willed her eyes to open, but such actions were not followed. It wasn't long before she faded.

x x x Later x x x

Riza winced, feeling a cool cloth damp at her face. The voices around her all sounded different compared to the one she had heard earlier. These voices sounded… higher. Another cold cloth touched her face, brushing near her jaw and lips.

"Hnnnnn….?"

"I think she's waking up, ma'am," once voice said, setting the cloth aside.

"Miss Hawkeye? Miss Hawkeye can you hear me?" Inquired the doctor, taking a new cloth from a nurse.

"What… where?" She said, her eyes squinting in the brightly lit room. Her eyes caught the sight of white walls, and her ears picked up the sound of machines beeping. Trying to lick her dry lips, Riza noticed that a corner of her lower lip was rather large.

"Miss Hawkeye, I'm Dr. Jane," she greeted. "Some officers brought you in after finding you in an alley," she explained carefully.

"Where….?" Riza said, dazed.

"You're in the infirmary. Some of your bunkmates went out looking for you after your shift was supposed to be over. They found you half naked," Jane paused. "Do you remember what happened?" Riza winced as pressure was put on her temple. Her mind wandered, trying to recall what happened. She could hear the voice in her head, but she couldn't understand why she recognized it. Shaking her head to get away from the pressure, Riza could feel her head begin to swim. Taking a look at the file brought to her by a nurse, Jane nodded, seeing the patient's name.

"Riza, I'm going to have to put some stitches in your forehead, along with some on your lip. Can you hold still for us so we can clean you up?" Jane said calmly, already dreading having to explain what happened to this poor soldier. With a slight nod, Riza relented, relaxing as the doctor and nurses continued their work.

"Alright, let's sit you up. Nice and easy," one nurse said, hugging Riza while another nurse propped up pillows behind her. Gently nestling her amongst them, the nurse then stepped back. Riza's eyes focused and unfocused, still trying to adjust to the light and sudden pains from sitting up. Jane walked in, having left to inform her bunk mates she was alright.

"Well, it's good to see you're up," she smiled, pulling a small penlight from her pocket. She shone the light into both of Riza's eyes, clicking it off once she was satisfied. "There's a lot of explaining to do, and probably lots of questions you and I want answered," Jane said, pulling up a chair. Jane hated this sort of portion of the whole investigation. It was best to normally wait until the patient was fully conscious and alert; most just after an attack couldn't really comprehend.

"What happened?" Riza said, finally managing to string a question together in her mind. It was a bit hard to talk around her swollen lip.

"Riza, I want you to rest first before we explain anything alright? Just take it easy," she said, already knowing trying to start asking questions was a bad idea. Closing her notepad, Jane sat back in her chair. "Is there anyone you want me to call? Family or friends?"

"There's no one," Riza said absently. She saw Jane's blurry figure nod slightly, setting the book aside on a small table.

"I'll be here the whole time, alright? Either myself, or another female nurse," Jane said, taking Riza's bruised hand carefully. She was going to have to take things very slow with this one. "I'm going to have your friends come back later okay? Right now, you need to sleep." Riza nodded slightly, thinking sleep sounded good. A nurse moved to her left, putting something into her IV. It wasn't long before the drugs started to take their effect; relieving her pain and dragging her into a deep sleep—ah the power of morphine.

x x x Daylight x x x

Riza blinked awake, hearing her alarm going off. Reaching her hand out of the blankets, she hit the snooze button. Groaning, Riza rolled over and peeked out the edge of her blanket at Hayate. His tail wagged, black eyes peering back at her. Scooting forwards, he squirmed against her. Petting him, she sighed, thinking back to her dream. _It felt so real, just like then_. Shaking, she hugged Hayate and turned, staring at her ceiling. Taking another look at her alarm clock, Riza exhaled slowly. _Tardiness is a bad mark on one's record_.

_Tardiness means more sleep,_ came a second thought, one much more appealing. Smiling, Riza burrowed into her covers, choosing to sleep in a half hour since her alarm clock was set two hours before she had to be at work. Just a bit more sleep couldn't hurt.

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_Thank you for reading chapter 8! I hope you enjoyed it! It was quite a chapter in the making. It'd been worried I'd ruin this chapter, and there's still more to come with this whole portion of the storyline. Please tell me what you think so far, so I know what I need to improve on! _

_Thanks again for reading!  
:Flava Sava:_


	9. Of Office and Beer

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA. **

_A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I've written. I'm sorry for making you all wait 4 months. I had this chapter mostly written, but it took me a lot of plotting to get this idea finsihed. But I thank you for staying with me. _

_But enough of me talking. ON TO THE CHAPTER! More to come on my author note at the end of the chapter!_

Please enjoy! Read and Review! 

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After having slept in another forty-five minutes, Riza slipped from bed and went about her normal routine. Pulling on her uniform after showering, she straightened the badges and her lapel before glancing to Black Hayate.

"We should get going if we don't want to be late," she said, tilting her head towards the door. Hayate stretched from where he lay under her blankets, just his head peaking out. Standing he dropped from the bed and padded to where she stood. Grabbing an apple from her kitchen, Riza left her home. The two walked along, taking in the typical sites. She threw an occasional piece of apple to Black Hayate, who eagerly crunched down on it.

Both bakers were already busy putting out their danishes, muffins, and fresh bread. She waved to them both, seeing that they had many cake orders to finish up. The flower shop owner smiled, waving to Riza. Everyone on her walk she had gotten to know over time. It seemed that not long after moving to the Eastern headquarters she had easily been welcomed by many of the shop owners. They all greeted her each morning with smiles and waves; maybe an occasional 'Hello' when they had the time.

Finishing her apple, Riza threw the core into a small waste basket outside the bar. Looking through the windows, she nodded to the bartender cleaning the glasses inside. Grinning at her, he waved. He was always glad for their service at his place, knowing that she and the rest of her unit stopped in once a week when not playing poker. They would chat with him before eventually parting ways at night. During the day it was always empty, in which it gave the barkeep time to clean up and make sure everything was stocked.

It wasn't long before Riza was heading up the stairs to her office with the rest of those under the command of Colonel Roy Mustang. Pushing open the door, she went to her desk and sat down. Looking through the paperwork for that day, she stretched and yawned. _Maybe just a bit more sleep would have helped_, she thought, remembering her rough night. Like clockwork in came Havoc, Fury, Breda, Falman, and at last, Mustang. Their day began once again.

Havoc sat across from Riza, shrugging to her when Roy came in and said a word to no one. He walked through and entered his separate office. She raised an eyebrow at Jean before closing the file she was working on. Scooping up the Colonel's work she had picked up, she headed into his office without even a knock.

"Sir, here is your work for today. It needs to be done before noon so that it can be delivered to the proper offices," she said, carefully setting the files down on his desk. Mustang of course wasn't listening; taking great interest in watching something outside the windows. "Sir," Riza said firmly.

"I heard you Lieutenant. You're dismissed," he muttered, waving his hand. Sighing heavily, Riza saluted and left his office, returning to his own desk.

Turning around just after she left, Roy looked at the door. The words Jean had said to him last night echoed through his mind. Shaking his head, Roy sat down and looked at the reports. "Rape, murder, murder, theft…" he muttered, glancing at the whole reason why they were on his desk. _I can't just openly ask her. That would be rude. _Roy wanted to know what happened. But asking so bluntly could get him slapped… or worse. _Shot_.

"Havoc! Get in here!" He yelled, sitting back in his chair.

Jean glanced at Riza, knowing he wasn't normally the one called into their commander's office. Getting up from his desk, he strolled over and entered.

"You called for me sir?" Havoc inquired around the cigarette between his lips.

"Get me Hawkeye's file… Without her knowing," Roy said, pretending to be working.

"Can I ask what for?"

"I just want to see it alright? It'd be awkward asking her to get it for me."

"You're curious about what I said—"

"Will you just go?!" Roy said, annoyed. Jean half saluted and left both offices. Chatting with several of the file girls he finally conned one of them into giving him he file. Hiding it under his arm, Jean returned after about an hour of flirting.

"Here you are sir. Lieutenant Hawkeye's file, just as you asked," he said, handing it to Roy. He took it and began flipping through. Jean stood there, waiting for anything from the Colonel.

"You're still here?" Roy asked, looking up.

"Well, I was figuring you'd share the information with me," Jean said, shrugging.

"Look, when I find it, I'll tell you over beer, okay? Just, return to your work," Roy muttered. Half saluting once more, Jean returned to his own desk.

"What was that about Jean?" Riza asked, looking over at him.

"Who knows? He acts like he's got ants in his pants or something. Or maybe a stick shoved up too far. But I don't know," he said casually, returning to reading through his own paperwork.

Glancing at her commanding officer's door, she turned back to her work. The time flew by quickly, as it seemed their office was the quietest it's been ever. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts, busy with paperwork, or distracted by life in general. Roy finally emerged from his office, coat on. The other officers were all putting on their own coats, seeing as it was after hours. She watched Roy's face, noticing the distraction.

_I wonder what by .It seems rather important to make him not come out of his own office for several hours. _Pulling on her own jacket, Riza fixed the jacket's front, wondering if she could ask Mustang what was bothering him. He looked over, catching her eye before setting his gaze on the man across the desk from her.

"Wanna go get a bear, Jean?" He inquired, walking over to him.

"Oh, uh, sure. I don't have any plans. No dates for Jean tonight," he laughed, walking out with Roy. Just as he reached the doorway, Jean winked at Riza, his typical smirk on his face. Riza smiled, knowing Jean would talk to the Colonel and see what was bugging him.

Stretching, Riza glanced down at Hayate. "Well, no plans for us tonight. What do you say we go shopping and get us some dinner?" He barked eagerly padding to the door. Laughing, Riza followed her dog out door and down the hall.

After having shopped, and returned home, Riza made herself some dinner. She read through the paper while she ate, tossing an occasional lettuce leaf to Hayate. It was rare for her to have a night where she wasn't waiting for the Colonel to actually finish his work, or not out helping a neighbor. There was always something she planned for her nights, rather than spending them alone like she had the past few.

X x x Getting at Beer x x X

Roy sipped his beer, looking at the radio as it played some jazz song. Jean sat next to him, drinking his own beer, but watching the Colonel. He was rather curious what Roy found in that file; commanding officers did have the right to look at their subordinates' files. Although Roy had promised him to explain what he found out, Jean didn't want to ask and feel pushy.

"You were right…" Roy said, staring at the contents of his glass.

"I'm right that I'm good looking, or what?" Jean said, confused.

"Remember what I said last night? That we all changed? Well, it is true. We've all changed since the war. But Riza is the one that has changed the most." Jean nodded, understanding more what Roy was talking about.

"So, what did her file say?"

"Apparently Riza was in the hospital right before she was shipped out because of the war starting. It doesn't really give details. I mean, this is just a regular file. I'm sure if I had her medical file, I'd know more," Roy said, glancing up at Jean before taking a swig of his beer.

"I can't get a hold of those, Roy. Even _with_ flirting with the nurses, I can't get it. That is classified information that neither of us can have," Jean said, swirling the beer in his glass.

"I know. It'd be nice to see it. But you're right. She's changed the most. Whatever happened to the girl that laughed at our jokes, or played stick ball with us?" Roy said, shaking his head.

"She's gone Roy." He paused, thinking of what else to say. "Sometimes, I wish we could go back to our childhood. I wish we could just relive it all over again. Maybe even change what we chose to become and be different. Rather than Colonel and officer, maybe you and Riza could be Mr. and Mrs. Mustang," Jean said. Roy looked at Jean, surprised he'd bring up such a thing.

"Jean, you know I wouldn't. You liked her just as much as I did."

"Roy, she doesn't look at me like that. I'm her friend, practically her brother. And we've met her brothers. But the fact that I'll never have a chance with her… or that she'll never look at me the same we she does you. That just proves it, Roy," Jean said, shaking his head. "You just gotta see you're the only one she wants to be with." Sitting quietly, Roy turned his attention to his glass, taking a drink.

"Are you serious? You actually think that?"

"Are you calling me a liar? I know what I see, Roy," he said sternly. "You doubt me, and you're doubting her. Riza is the most right person we know."

Roy sighed, trying to fathom everything Jean just explained to him. He couldn't even believe it. _Riza liking me? We're just friends! Besides, I'm too much of an ass. I've flaunted all the women I've been with right in her face. How could she still love me after all that?_ Glancing at Jean once more, Roy drank down the rest of his beer.

"Well, then what should I do from here?"

"You ask her out, fool. You date her. You make love to her. Do something more than just sitting here. She loves you! She wants to have your babies!" Jean ignored the stares he was currently getting from those around the bar. "Damnit Mustang. If you don't marry her, I will."

"I have to date her first, before I can propose."

"She'd probably strip for you if you asked to marry her. She _wants_ you."

"But fraternization could get us both court martialed," Roy protested.

"Screw the rules! You've broken her heart one too many times just traipsing about with other women. Every single time you did, I was the one that mended it together. If you break her heart again, I will be forced to help her castrate you," Jean said, setting his glass down after having finished his beer.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I will. Just watch me." Jean smirked, cigarette still between his lips despite all the current ranting. "You better ask her, or make your move before I get to her, Mustang. This is just like in school. We're competing for the woman we love." He stood, leaving his money behind on the counter. Waving over his shoulder, Jean left the bar.

"The race is on then," Roy said, smirking. "You're on Jean. Riza _will_ be mine."

* * *

_Thank you for reading! (Don't forget to review!) And now on to my author note! _

_I've been thinking about how I wanted the rest of this story to go. I mean, I have so many readers, and I don't quite know how I want to end it. I mean, of course there will be a RoyRiza ending. But I'm really liking her with Jean too. _

_SO! This is where you all come in. I want your opinions on this matter. Do you like Roy and Riza together, or Riza and Jean? AND! If you like them both, should I turn this into a love triangle sort of deal? _

_Please let me know what you think I should do in a review! And tell me what you thought of this chapter of course! . _

_A big thank you to everyone that has read, reviewed, and waited so long for this chapter! I really appreciate your support! _

_:Flava Sava: _


	10. Of A Drunken Encounter

**Disclaimer: I think you all know this by now. **

_A/N: Welcome to Chapter 10!! _

_A BIG "Thank You" to everyone that reviewed for chapter 9, and told me their opinions. I really appreciate your input!_

_And now, ON TO CHAPTER 10! Please read and review!_

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Jean smirked, entering the office early the following morning. He had his usual cigarette tucked between his lips as he sat already working on his paperwork. From his desk he could hear footsteps already approaching the office. Glancing at the clock, he nodded. _Right on time_. Turning back to his work, he didn't even glance up when Riza entered the office.

"Good morning, Riza," he said, writing in a report. She blinked, surprised to see someone in so early.

"Good morning, Jean. How come you're in so early?"

"Just wanted to get my work done. It'd be nice to have the rest of the afternoon off, right?" He said, looking up. Riza nodded, having sat down at her desk after hanging up her coat and bag.

"It is nice, and I'm glad you're taking the incentive to do so. Do you have a date tonight to want to get off so early?" Riza inquired.

"Well, no, not yet," Jean said, closing one file and picking up another. She nodded, pulling out a file from her own stack.

"…Jean, did you put a fresh mug of tea on my desk?" Riza said, noticing the steaming mug.

"Yup. I knew you'd be in, and figured I could at least get you tea since I was going to be here early too," Jean explained.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Her smile made him feel important to see such a rare sight.

The two were there for a few hours before the rest of the office entered. Fury, Breda and Falman were all surprised to see Jean already here. Normally he came in with them from the military dorms. The three men whispered among themselves as they hung up their own jackets and took their seats.

"Anyone see the Colonel?" Riza inquired, glancing at his office door and then back at the rest of the group.

"Nope. He probably slept with some woman last night and slept in," Breda said, sitting back in his seat. Riza's face remained emotionless, annoyed at the very thought.

"You don't _know_ if he slept with someone last night," Fury said, setting down the report he had just opened.

"You wanna bet me on it?" Breda grinned.

"No. Because I might lose and not have a way to feed myself." Fury shook his head, crossing his arms. "I like eating thanks."

"Keh. You never take any risks," Breda said, reaching for a report from his stack.

"Well, he probably got drunk and is sleeping off his hangover. That wouldn't really surprise anyone," Falman said, glancing around the group. "…But Jean, weren't you the last one to see the Colonel last night? Did you two go have a beer?" Jean blinked, looking up.

"Yeah, we did have _a_ beer. I left before we had more than one. We were just chatting, and then I wanted to get home. Hell if I know if he found some woman or not," Jean said, shrugging. He looked up barely at Riza, wondering if she'd have any reaction to his words. She seemed to be concentrating on the file before her. _He probably did sleep with some woman_. Just as he had closed the report he was reading, the door burst open, causing the whole office to look at the sudden loud intruder.

Roy stood in the doorway, looking at his office of subordinates. He nodded to them, slipping off his jacket. Most of them just watched him walk from the coat rack to his office where he then closed the door behind him. Riza exchanged a glance with Jean, confused as to the sudden entrance. _Odd_, thought Riza. She was always baffled by the antics of their commanding officer.

_Showoff_, thought Jean, rolling his eyes. The subordinates returned to their work, Roy remaining in his office for quite some time. A knock on the door caused them all to look up. It was rare that they had visitors, especially when it came at the end of the day.

"Come in," Riza said, looking up. There was a slight hesitation before the door finally opened. A young woman appeared in the doorway. She looked around, a bit confused. "Yes? Can we help you?"

"Well, I was looking for Roy," the woman said, looking around the office once more. Riza noted the civilian clothing. _Someone he slept with I'm assuming. Past lover. Go figure_. Her heart fell at the thought.

"He's just back there," Riza said, looking back down at her paperwork.

"Where?" Riza was getting irritated by the woman and she wasn't even in the room for five minutes.

"In his office, miss. Right back there," Jean said, gesturing to the door at the back of the room. The woman made a small sound that must have been an "Oh". She knocked, and then disappeared into the office. Riza finished the rest of her reports, setting them in the corner of her desk. Jean had been watching her the whole time, noticing that she definitely wasn't happy that Roy had a woman in his office. "Hey Riza, how about you and I go get a beer or something?"

Riza looked at Jean, smiling. She would gladly accept any form of alcohol, as long as it would help her forget him and that _woman_. "Sure. Since we're both finished, let's leave early." Nodding to Riza, Jean grabbed his jacket and Riza's. Fury, Breda and Falman exchanged glances after the two had left.

"Well… that was definitely different," Breda said, stretching and putting his feet up on his desk.

"The Colonel does have a woman in his office. Granted, she's not in the military, so that's not breaking any rules. But she looked like she wanted to do more than just talk," Falman said, having noted the woman's clothing choice.

"Hawkeye didn't look happy seeing her," Fury said, closing his current report.

"Jean'll cheer her up. He has that way with her. We saw it before poker night." Leaning back in his chair, Breda smirked. "They're good friends, so I doubt he'd try to get in her pants anyway." Fury sighed, shaking his head. _All they ever think about is sleeping with woman_.

X x x At a Bar x x X

Jean sat across from Riza, the two of them reminiscing. They were laughing about some incident in school. "I didn't think they'd actually do that to you Jean. I mean, Ben I can see, but Thomas too?"

"Yup. I had to be a gentleman around you or else I'd get a swirly," Jean said, shaking his head. "Thus, I'm the best guy with ladies. Your brothers taught me right." He loved seeing he smile and laugh; something he doubted the Colonel saw because he could never keep his pants on and actually spend time with the woman he loved.

"Well, I'm glad they did. You're an outstanding gentleman. You'll make a great husband when you find the right woman," Riza said before taking a sip of her beer. _I'm the right man for you. You're the right woman for me. Can't you see that?_ Jean sighed, watching Riza for a bit before taking a large swig of his beer. They continued chatting, mostly about current issues.

X x x Back at the Office x x X

The woman left Roy's office, looking rather upset about something. At quitting time, Roy emerged, noticing that two of his subordinates—and close friends—weren't present. Breda looked up from the newspaper he was reading, seeing the Colonel with a befuddled look on his face.

"They left an hour ago to go get a beer and relax. Their work is finished," Breda said, watching Roy before returning to his paper.

"They can't just leave like that!" Roy said, going for his jacket. He was already frustrated that one of his exes had come to the office to beg him to take her back. And now that Jean had taken Riza, _his _Riza, out to get a beer made his frustration worse.

"So, if you're leaving, does that mean we can leave?" Falman said, sitting up in his chair.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want," Roy said, throwing open the office door and leaving. The three remaining subordinates exchanged glances before gathering up their things and heading home.

X x x At the Bar x x X

Riza felt like she did the last time she drank this much. Everything was very hazy, and she was laughing about the oddest things. Jean was sitting next to her, with half a glass of his second beer left. He could tell that she was drunk, and felt bad to let her get this far. But she was ranting, and kept asking for another glass. Pushing his glass away, and then moving her third glass out of her reach, Jean stood.

"Come on, Riza, let's get you home," Jean said, picking up her jacket off the adjacent stool. He looked at her, seeing her flopped over on the counter.

"I don't understand what he sees in those whores," Riza said, her words almost slurring together.

"Well hon, you should ask him yourself tomorrow. Not now while you're drunk. Come on, up you go," Jean said, pulling Riza to stand next to him. She swayed, leaning against him.

"No, I think I should ask him now. Come on, let's go," she said, stumbling towards the door. Jean followed her closely, not wanting her to hurt herself. He continued to walk next to her after they left the bar, steering her in the direction of her home. As they walked along the sidewalk, they happened to pass the Colonel, who was on the opposite street. Roy recognized the two voices, and looked seeing Jean, now almost carrying the drunken Riza.

"Why that lying son of a—" Roy started to say, before falling silent. He ducked behind a parked car and trailed the two. It was soon apparent to him that Jean was taking Riza to her home. _But home to do what? She's unaware of anything that happens to her in that state! I must rescue her and make sure Jean doesn't take what doesn't belong to him_. Roy's ego swelled even more at the thought, making him feel proud to be such a great guy. His mental theatrics started up, and he imagined what Riza would say once he threw Jean out. The bubble was quickly popped when there was the sound of a door opening. Blinking, Roy turned to see Jean and Riza entering her house.

Jean helped Riza inside, leading her to where he remembered her bedroom to be. After laying her down, and then pulling off her boots, Jean tucked her in. Placing a glass of water on the night stand, Jean then turned on her alarm clock and kissed her fore head. "Good night darlin'," he said. He locked the front door; leaving through the back knowing that Hayate would alert her if someone tried to enter through there. Stretching, Jean walked through the gate, not noticing Roy. There was still a mild drunken haze about him as he headed home.

Roy managed to make it inside Riza's house without any problems. Hayate had heard him, but instantly wagged his tail upon seeing him—glad to see the Colonel. Shuffling into Riza's room, he blinked, not seeing any sign of Jean. Riza was resting peacefully, her even breaths the only sound in the room. Retreating and leaving the same way he had entered, Roy headed to his apartment.

"Riza Hawkeye. You may be fooled by Jean's polite, gentlemanly nature, but you have yet to see me when I'm in love. I _always_ get what I want," Roy said, a smirk on his face. He was going to show her exactly how he felt. Jean had his chance, but all that seemed to happen was him getting her drunk. "I'll show her just how a real man acts."

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_Thank you for reading Chapter 10! Please read and review! _

_So, to let you all know, I am going to have 3 romance chapters. This is just the start of their race. But following this there will be 1 chapter that is RoyRiza, another that is JeanRiza, and a third that is a love triangle. Just to be fair to all the shippers out there. _

_Thank you all once again for enduring the long waits for updates, and your input and reviews! Thank you for sticking with me!_

Dominic Knight aka Flava Sava!


	11. Of Pastries and Flowers

**Disclaimer: I think you all know the drill. **

_At last, I have returned! I did not die, but was in fact picking up the pieces that was my brain. It seemed to have exploded from school and various other things. But as you can see, I managed to fix the puzzle and give you a chapter!_

_I'm sorry it's very late! Summer kept me busy and it was hard to update once school started! _

_Enough of me talking, on to reading the chapter! Please read and review! _

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Riza groaned, waking up. She didn't remember setting her alarm, or any alarm for that matter. Everything was one giant fuzzy loud blur. Reaching from under the comforter, she dropped her hand on the alarm and turned off the annoying item. Through the small hole her arm was currently sticking out of she could see her room was already starting to fill with light. A whining caught her attention, the sound of her dog wanting to be let out.

"Please, use the dog door, Hayate," she said, before remembering that she had not put one in for security reasons. "Yes, yes, I'm getting up." Pushing herself up, she growled as she opened her eyes in the bright room. Pausing for a few moments to let her eyes adjust, Riza finally moved off her bed and towards the door. The hardwood floor was cool under her feet as she and Hayate padded down the hall and into the kitchen. Unlocking the back door she forced it open with a tug and shielded her eyes from the intense outdoor light. Hayate hurried out to do his business, stepping among the dew covered grass very carefully. He eventually made his way back to the house where he was fed, much to his excitement.

Shuffling back, Riza went about her room. Looking to her clock she could see that already she was behind her normal schedule. She wandered into the bathroom, finding everything rather loud this morning. She showered and got dressed at a leisurely pace. For a few moments she stared at herself in the mirror, making sure she didn't look hung over or messy at all. Satisfied with her appearance, Riza tugged on her jacket. After straightening her jacket, she glanced in the mirror before going to her dresser. On top lay her gun, its holster, her spare ammunition and her wallet. Slipping her wallet into the inner pocket of her jacket, she then pulled on her belt and holster. Adjusting its position, she then looked over her gun before finally sliding it into the holster.

Riza watched her reflection, her eyes moving over herself to make sure everything was as it should be. Pleased with her appearance, she zipped up her jacket over her brown turtleneck and headed for the door. Black Hayate padded along behind her, his nails making a _ticking_ noise as he walked across the hardwood floor. Sitting down by the door, Riza pulled on her shiny and practically new boots. Whistling for Hayate, she grabbed her bag from the bench and moved to the door, keys in hand. Pulling open the door, they both stepped out; Black Hayate going down to the bottom of the steps where he eagerly waited for his master. After locking her house, Riza followed after her dog down the walk and out the gate towards Central City's military headquarters. As she walked she bid good morning to the local shop owners she had gotten to know over her time in the city. Nodding to the guards as she passed through the gates, Riza headed for the building that held the office she shared.

"Good morning Lieutenant Hawkeye, morning Black Hayate," the building guard greeted with a tip of his hat as she checked in. He threw Black Hayate a small treat, petting the dog on the top of the head and behind the ears.

"Morning Private Fleck, anything for me today?" She asked, stopping at his desk.

"If there were any, they were taken up to your office already," he said. "Best go up and see what they were." Riza nodded and headed up the stairs. _Odd. Normally I get the messages for our office. Who would be in earlier than me?_ She greeted Maria as she passed by her office; the two having gotten to know each other through Edward. It set Riza at ease just knowing there was another woman working around here that didn't fall for the Colonel's tricks. Pushing open the door, Riza wasn't surprised to see the office empty… well almost.

From when she left yesterday it was a mess, but today it was really clean. There wasn't any crumpled paper, paper airplanes, or files strewn about anywhere. She knew the janitor tended to stay away from their office and had provided them with their own vacuum cleaner. All of today's work was neatly distributed on each desk; each mug for coffee or tea cleaned and sitting upon a coaster—it was all oddly perfect. What surprised her even more was the vase of flowers upon her desk.

"This morning is getting even weirder by the moment," she said, moving to her seat. Her mug was full with a steaming cup of tea. Raising it to her lips and tasting it, she was surprised to taste that it had the little bit of honey and sugar she normally mixed in. She didn't have a suitor, so who would know how she took her tea and clean up the office so nicely? The opening of the door caught her attention, which she turned to look and see who it was.

The Colonel entered, mug of coffee in hand along with a white box. Riza's eyes drifted to the coat rack where Roy's coat hung as it normally did. _How did I not notice before?_

"Morning Hawkeye," he said, walking past her and to his desk. Words had completely left her. Noticing the silence, Roy looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong Lieutenant?"

"Did you do all of this sir?"

"Do what?"

"Clean… the office, everything," she said, watching him. She left out the part of the flowers, just to see if he'd take responsibility for doing such.

"Yes actually. I suffered a serious bout of insomnia last night," he said, not looking sleepless at all. Riza nodded processing what he had said.

"So rather than go get a hooker like I normally would have, I came into work and tidied up," Roy said, setting down his mug. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"I forgot to grab something before I left," she said, remembering that she didn't stop at the market like she normally did every morning.

"Please, help yourself to some pastries," he said, holding out the box to her. "I went to a bakery this morning after I finished cleaning up and got some breakfast for the office." Riza nodded, before taking a step towards him to take the box. She opened it and carefully picked out a muffin that she set on a napkin. Black Hayate had curled up under her desk on the bed in his box—already snoring away.

Setting the box back on Roy's desk, Riza picked at her muffin for a few moments before glancing at the Colonel. She wanted to know who put the flowers on her desk, but she couldn't make up her mind at whether or not she wanted to ask him. The Colonel watched the gears in her mind turn as he went about his daily paperwork. After a couple of minutes, Riza finally filled the silence between them.

"If you don't mind me asking, did you put these flowers here?" She had a slight suspicion it was Jean, but she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since last night at the bar. So the thought of Jean getting these flowers for her quickly left her mind. Roy was silent for a minute, letting her question hang in the air.

"Yes. I had to thank you somehow for all your hard work these past few weeks," he said, sipping his coffee. Riza nodded, her eyes moving back to the muffin and tea. She returned to her work, silent—and rather speechless.

"Thank you," she finally said, before going back to reading the file open in front of her. Roy smirked; happy with himself for making his Lieutenant speechless, which was a very rare occasion. His ego swelled, as he felt he was at least getting through to her; breaking that outer tough shell she possessed.

"You don't look tired at all. I don't think you suffered from insomnia," she said, smirk now on her face. He choked on the coffee he was drinking, nearly spitting it out all over his desk. She could be kind one moment and crush you the next. After coughing for a moment or two Roy sighed and returned to his work, ego now bruised and shrunken.

The chatter of their coworkers drifted up to them before finally the four entered the room.

"No, here's an even better joke than Breda's," Jean said, hanging up his coat. "So a man walks into a doctor's office wearin' cellophane underwear and the doctor says to him, 'Sir, I can plainly see your nuts.'" All three of the other men burst into laughter as they moved to their desks.

"Where'd you hear that one?" Fury asked, taking his seat.

"Last time I was in a doctor's office. We were exchanging jokes while I was gettin' my check up," he said. Taking his seat across from Riza, Jean smiled to her. "Mornin' Riza, mornin' Colonel."

"Still telling that joke, Jean?" Roy said, sipping his coffee.

"I don't always tell that one," he said, crossing his arms.

"Well, it sure seems that way with all the times I've heard it… And you didn't hear it at the doctor's office, you heard it while we were in basic together," Roy said, grabbing the box of pastries. "You four hungry? I got some pastries for us this morning." Breda moseyed over to the Colonel's desk and took the box.

"Don't mind if I do," Breda said, pulling it open and taking out an éclair as he handed it to the other three. They each took something and happily munched away. So far this was the best morning they had; a lot of work would hopefully get done today.

"So chief, what gave you the idea to bring food today?" Jean said, wiping his hand off on a napkin. "Generally you barely have time to feed yourself before you come to work." Roy smirked, thinking that Jean was trying to make him look bad.

"You see Jean, I was having a hard time getting to sleep last night and decided to come in early," he said, telling the same story he had told Riza before.

"Probably because he couldn't get a woman," Breda murmured to the others as he sucked off the remaining crumbs on his fingers. Roy bit his tongue, holding back a rather rude comment—something along the lines of Breda never being able to keep a woman long enough to bed her.

"This is a really nice way to start the morning though. Thank you for breakfast, sir," Fury said, saluting Roy. He waved it off; truly thinking he had done nothing more than feed his subordinates.

"I saw we start every morning like this," Breda said, patting his belly. "I'll be able to be more productive with good food in my stomach."

"Why not make it a traditional thing, then?" Falman suggested.

"Yeah! Each morning the Colonel brings in breakfast, we'll get here on time and get plenty of work done," Breda agreed. Roy looked at his subordinates as they already started talking of tomorrow's breakfast. He didn't want this to become an everyday thing, especially out of _his _pocketbook. Riza watched him for a few moments, seeing the look of horror spread on his face.

"Wait, hold on guys—" Roy started.

"Rather than make the Colonel pay for all of this, why not have each of us take a day of the week and that is when we bring in breakfast?" Riza said. "There are six of us and we work six days a week. On any seventh day, we each bring in something to eat and have a sort of potluck." The guys were silent for a moment, staring at her in disbelief.

"That's a perfect idea!" Jean said, grin on his face.

"A very good suggestion, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Fury said, nodding in agreement.

"Mmhmm, I third that suggestion," Breda said, already starting to imagine the food they could have each morning.

"Then it's settled," Riza said, pulling open her desk drawer and taking out a piece of paper. "Who wants what day?"

"I'll take Monday," Fury said, raising his hand.

"I would prefer Thursday," said Falman.

"Tuesday for me," Breda said, finishing with a satisfied burp.

"I can take Wednesday," Jean said, nodding to Riza.

"Sir, what about you?" She looked to Roy.

"Oh… Uh, Friday for me then," he said.

"Good, Saturday works best for me," Riza said, finishing up the list. She got up from her desk and went to the calendar in the room and started to write down each person's initials on the day they were supposed to bring breakfast. Looking ahead she noticed that there were only two Sundays that they were working—and marked those too. After doing so, Riza returned to her desk and went back to her reports, much like her coworkers.

As everyone finished they work they went off to get lunch, or for the rest of the day—depending on how much work they had gotten done. Jean stretched after he had finished, popping his back a few times before finally getting up from his seat. He had never worked so hard, but today was a day he had gotten more done than he normally would have. Maybe the Colonel's breakfast had helped, although he wasn't too sure. Making his way over to the coat rack, he slid into his, watching Roy and Riza both continue to work. At times like this, he was glad he didn't have a higher rank, or else he'd have to work just as hard as them. But other times he wished he was higher, so he could stay behind and help Riza… or Roy if he _really_ had to.

"You two nearly finished?" Jean asked, breaking the silence that the other three had left them in.

"Nah, I still have a ways to go," Roy said, looking at his stack. There actually wasn't all that much left for him to do. He was merely stalling now.

"I have a few more reports to read," she said, glancing up at Jean. "Go remind Falman it's his day tomorrow," Riza said. He nodded, taking the two steps to the door rather slow.

"All right then, I'll see you both tomorrow?" Jean looked at them from where he stood now in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah," Roy said, distracted with something he was reading.

"Uh huh. See you tomorrow Jean," Riza said, smiling to her old friend. Jean brightened, seeing her smile. Stepping out of the room he pulled the door closed behind him and head down the hall.

Riza and Roy worked quietly for some time; the only sound between them being their pens moving across the paper. It was the kind of silence they were used to, especially after the past two years of working like this together. There was a long moment of quiet as they heard Jean's footsteps disappear down the hall. Roy was eager to know if Riza was going to ask him about the flowers. He continued to stall his work until she had finished. She stood, catching his attention as she moved where the flowers had been for most of the day atop the filing cabinet.

"It's a shame these are going to die soon…" Riza examined the flowers, noticing that they were already starting to wilt from the heat of the day. Roy nodded, watching her.

"That is a shame," he said, leaning back in his seat. By now he had cleaned up his desk and was just about ready to go and get his jacket to leave. "Are you done Lieutenant?"

"Yes, finally. There was a lot of work today," she said, moving back to her desk and grabbing the files off of it. Riza placed them with the other completed tasks and grabbed her jacket. He had better make his move fast or else she'd leave for the night.

"Hey, Riz—er Hawkeye… would you like to go out to dinner tonight?" Roy said glad to have caught his slip up. The Lieutenant gave him a look as if to say he was nuts. "It'd just be as friends. No worries right?" _Dammit! Why are you saying that?! _After that sentence came from his mouth he wished he could take it all back and start all over.

That was definitely not the question she was expecting.

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_I'm sure you weren't expecting me to leave it just like that! Ha! I had to though. _

_Please read and review! They are greatly appreciated! And! I reply to reviews! Well... actually, any review that is more than just the words "good" or "I liked it". If you give me more to work with in your review, I shall give you a cookie and add you to my awesome reviewers list! _

_Thank you for reading! I shall bring you another update soon! _

_Dominic Knight aka Flava Sava!_


	12. Of Dinner as Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or it's characters. Same old, same old.**

_A/N: Wow, I am so sorry for the long wait. Seriously guys. I am. Life got way ahead of me. Graduation and all kept me busy. _

_But Chapter 12 is here! And I will be updating more often. If I don't. Please send me messages to tell me to do so. _

But enough about me! Enjoy this long awaited chapter!

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Riza stared at Roy for several moments, trying to decide what exactly she could say. Of course she could just say "Yes" as any woman outside of the military would say yes to this womanizer. But a part of her wanted to decline so she could go back to her house and read another entry of her diary.

"Sure, why not? Just as friends right," she said. Mentally she kicked herself for answering yes. It was not on her "To Do" list to be seen outside of work with this womanizing manwhore. A grin appeared on his face as he slid on his jacket and held hers towards her.

"Shall we?" _No way to back out now_, she thought, taking the jacket and heading into the hall with him. They left the premises and headed in the direction of the bar that many of the soldiers hung out at. This was a great place to go as friends… that way they wouldn't look so much like a couple. As soon as they entered they were acknowledged with various greetings.

"Hey Colonel, decided to join us after all?" A familiar voice said, moving over to the table the two had sat at. "And look at that, you managed to bring Riza too." She smiled at her childhood friend detecting the slight sound of disappointment in his voice.

"I do need to get out once in a while, Jean," she said, setting her jacket in the seat next to her.

"You were just out last night," he said, eyeing Roy before turning his full attention to her. "Just don't let this guy talk you into things you aren't ready for," Jean said, winking at her before turning to go back to his table with some other men from around the offices. Riza stared after him for a few moments, contemplating whether she should pull her gun on Jean, or just let that little comment go. Exhaling, she thought better of herself and decided not to sink to such a low and instead enjoy the company of her superior and those that came by to speak to them.

"Who knows what he's talking about," Roy said, trying to act as cool as possible. Good thing he didn't have his gloves on, or Jean would be one crisp man.

"Well, I'm sure he was trying to warn me about your whorish habits." She glanced up at him to see a rather stunned look on his face. Riza could be cruel with her words, he knew that much; but he didn't really expect something so… harsh from her. "Don't act so surprised Colonel. Everyone knows you've slept around town. As long as you don't father a child, I'm positive the higher ups aren't bothered by it." The look got even more amusing with the mere mention of their superiors.

"Riza, really… you shouldn't speak of this so openly," he said, trying to come up with a way to scrape his ego off the floor; or at least salvage some of it.

"Mustang, let me get something straight with you… Everyone, and I mean _everyone_, knows you've probably slept with every civilian single woman twice at the very least. There is _no_ way you can cover for that. This habit should really stop, I mean honestly you could start getting nicknames like 'man-whore' or 'Mr. Happy-pants'. At least _try_ to keep yourself in your pants before you run after the next skirt that passes by," Riza said, glancing over the menu before looking back at him. Over at a nearby table Jean and the rest of their office were trying to hold in their laughter at her berating of her superior.

"I have this sharp pain in my back… Riza do you think you could pull that knife out?" Roy laughed lightly at his own joke, mentally figuring how he was going to sew any last shred of dignity back together. She smirked, her gaze returning to the menu. In the back of his mind he knew she would be surprised to know he hadn't slept around in the past month or so. All it took was for him to give up sex until he had the woman of his dreams. _Dear God, why did I give up sex?_

"I figured someone had to tell you the truth," she said, closing the menu and looking across the table to him. "Have you decided what you want?"

"Oh, right," he said, glancing at his own before sighing. The waitress approached and stood before them.

"What can I get you two?" Roy went to look up at her when he got stuck watching her bust. For a brief moment he stared before peeling his eyes away and looking at her face.

"I'll take the burger, well done, with steak fries. And whiskey to drink," he said, handing her the menu. A part of him was proud to not have gazed for too long… but another wanted to look towards the long creamy legs that were ever present because of her short shorts.

"And for you, miss?"

"The fish and chips, and a root beer," she said. Riza didn't want to have a repeat of the previous night, especially around Roy. Collecting the menus the waitress left. "What color were her eyes?" She figured she could test him just to see if he was actually paying attention to her or if he had gone to looking at her barely covered chest.

"Brown," Roy said. A statistic flashed in the back of his mind that brown was the most common eye color so he was guaranteed to be right… sort of. She remained quiet, meaning he must have gotten it right. "So, what have you been up to besides work?"

"Nice attempt at small talk," she muttered. It wasn't that she was annoyed with him, she just figured if he wanted to go out and talk with her, the very least he could do was have better social skills than a gnat.

"No, honestly I want to know what your hobbies are besides going to the shooting range," he said, looking at her with as honest of an expression as he could surmise.

"I've been cleaning my house. A while back my mom had sent me several boxes of things from my childhood, and I figured it was about time I went through them," she said, taking a sip of her drink that the waitress had finally brought out. Roy sipped his whiskey as he listened.

"Find anything interesting?"

"A few things, though I'm sure she just wanted it out of the house. It's actually not all really mine. There's some of my brothers' stuff too."

"What of theirs was there? Dirty magazines and clothing?" Roy was rather perplexed as to why she'd receive such items.

"No, only one brother was into porn. But I think Ben took that with him when he moved out… She sent me my oldest brother, Thomas' things. It's mostly books, a quilt and some of his clothes," she said, thinking back to the quilt made of his baby clothes. Roy nodded, keeping a rather rude comment to himself.

"What about your stuff?" He was trying to ask as casually as possible; he was curious after all to know what items she had.

"Books mostly, sir. Why so curious? Wanting to know if I got sent lingerie or something?"

"No, I was just wondering what possible childhood mementos you could have," he said, shaking his head. Riza stared at him blankly for a moment, not taking him seriously at all.

"I'm so sure..." Her mind wandered through the box she had received some while ago and finally unpacked.

"Well?"

"Childhood relics," Riza said, trying to get him off the subject. "So tell me Roy. Why _exactly_ did you ask me to dinner?" Roy seemed to stiffen ever so slightly at the question.

"Friends can dine together in peace, can't they?" Hawkeye raised an eyebrow at him. He was going to use every kind of excuse up his sleeves.

"Not when those friends are also coworkers," she said, falling silent and smiling at the waitress as she arrived with their food. Her eyes darted to watch Roy, who was once again looking at her legs. "Thank you," Riza said, nodding to her before she departed to go check on her other orders. Roy eyed her walking away before he turned and dug into his meal.

"We shouldn't turn every conversation back to work. What's the point of dining as friends, then?" He had her there. Picking at her meal, Riza sighed.

"A journal," she said, taking a bit of a French fry.

"What?"

"I found a journal in one of the boxes. I've been flipping through it to see what I wrote," she said, taking another bite. Roy nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Does it say anything about old crushes?" He could hope right? It was from their childhood; so maybe he was mentioned.

"I haven't read through it yet. Don't assume I'd just pour my heart out in there," she said, rolling her eyes. His mental image of women must have come from one of the blonde bimbos he had slept with.

They carried on their conversation fairly normal. It went back and forth between work, coworkers, news, and a many other topics that tended to stem from the office. The bar was emptying now as many drunks were stumbling out the doors and towards home.

Observing Roy, Riza could tell he was a bit tipsy. She on the other hand was quite alert thanks to only the soda and water she had been drinking.

"Sir, we should really get you home," she said, pulling on her jacket after getting up. Helping him to his feet after making sure the tab was paid; Riza dragged him in the direction of his home.

_Please don't let some woman be there waiting for him. Boy would that be awkward_, she thought, looking up at the sky hoping that someone up there would be kind to her. With his arm over her shoulder, she managed to get him to his apartment door. What an even bigger challenge it was going to be to get him up the stairs. Groping in his coat pocket Riza found the keys and opened the door. Unfortunately she hadn't quite grabbed him in time and his leaning frame fell through the doorway. Groaning as he had landed with a loud _thud_, Riza rolled her eyes and grabbed both his hands and hauled him in the direction of his bed.

"You had better hope I don't have to do this again, sir. Getting smashed when we're just having dinner as friends is not how you impress a girl," she grumbled, stopping right next to the bed. There was no way in _hell_ he was going to make it onto the bed. With his body weighing significantly more than she, physically it wasn't happening. Stripping Roy's bed of blankets and a pillow, Riza created a little bed for him and rolled his drunken body into it. Leaving him on the floor, wrapped up, she left, locking the door behind her and dropping the keys in the mail slot.

Mumbling to his inane ability to get drunk, Riza headed home.

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_Thanks for reading! Please read and review! I thrive on criticism!  
Later days!  
Flava Sava aka Dominic Knight!_


	13. Of Desert Winds and Hang Overs

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. Same old. You know the story.**

_I'm so sorry for not updating in nine months! I got swept up in NaNoWriMo, graduating and just general stuff like that._

But I promise it won't happen again. After reading a friend's fic, I felt horrible for not posting anything in FOREVER!

And in order to make it up to you all, I made the chapter extra long. It's taken me a few days to get back into the swing of this story, and what I was thinking. Believe me, WriMo has taken away my brain. But alas, I am somehow able to scrape parts of it off the inside of my skull and sew them together, so I may have some hope... I think. XD

Anyway, on to the LONG, LONG awaited, chapter 13.

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Unlocking her door as she entered her small house, she heard the bark of Hayate. She had sent him home; something the dog knew very well how to do. Although she didn't have a dog door, one of her really good neighbors would let him in if he was on the porch. Slipping from her jacket she hung it up and knelt down to pet him.

"Good boy. You hungry?" He barked a few times, signaling he was eager for his dinner. Grinning, she got up and walked into the kitchen. His kibble made noise as she poured two scoops into his bowl and set it by his water dish. Sitting on the small rug by the sink, he waited obediently for her command. "Okay, there you go," she announced as he moved forwards and dug into the crunchy bites. Laughing to herself, she headed into her room and started to get ready for bed.

Once her jacket, pants, boots and belt were all properly hung, she stretched in her blue pajamas. At that point, Hayate came trotting in licking his chops. Stepping into the bathroom she slid out her hair clip and ran her hand through her long locks. Yawning, she padded back out to her room, finding Hayate curled up in the middle of her bed. As she approached his tail wagged against the bed, making a _thumping_ noise as he did so. Smiling, she switched on her nightstand light and slid into bed. Getting up, her dog moved under the blankets, happy to be in the warmth. Once he had curled up, she reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her journal. Flipping through the pages, she found where she had left off.

But rather than finding her normal "Dear Journal" she instead found just the start of the entry under the date. Reading over it a few times, she nodded, realizing when this was from.

_It seems the wind has started to pick up. Word is a sand storm is on the way. All snipers were told to come down from the cliffs, but down in the camps it's loud and full of rude, horny men. Few women are actually out this far. No warm bodies for them to sleep with. I saw him again today—_

X x x The Battlefield x x x

The wind shifted making the woman squint as sand blew into her face. A bit of her blonde locks slid from under the hood of her desert cloak. Brushing them out of her face, she resumed peering through the scope of her rifle. Her job was to protect the alchemists that entered the city below. Following a small group of them, she trained the crosshairs on a few walking through the streets; one in particular was a dark-haired man that she had not seen in quite some time. Smirking, she zoomed back a bit and took in a larger picture. Seeing some movement, she took quick aim and fired. Not even a moment later, a body fell from a high window.

Those in the group turned, looking at the mess the corpse made on the debris covered street. A man wearing rectangular lenses smirked, glancing to those he was currently moving with. He gestured with his head up in her direction, speaking to them. Moving the crosshairs on the earlier dark-haired man, she kept it on him as he stared at the cliffs she resided in. It was rare for a sniper to get seen, especially when they were dressed in their desert cloaks. Only the other snipers knew each one's location. Glancing at the setting sun, she saw that it was soon going to be someone else's job to be up here. Her current shift was over and it was time to return to camp.

Crawling backwards a bit until she was a good distance from the cliff edge, she headed down the pathway the snipers all used. It was hidden behind some rocks and in a trench. By the lighter colored ground, it was obvious this path was used quite often. As she headed down, another came up nodding in her direction—the relief sniper to take her place. He carried up his own gun, as she brought hers down with her.

"Nice shootin' Hawk. You've got the highest count so far. Looks like you'll be winnin' the cases of beer," the man said, smirking at her before continuing past. Keeping quiet, she moved downwards. After winding along she finally came out among some tents and fires. Her hood remained up, keeping her hidden from the others. It was a well known fact that the snipers mostly kept to themselves and rarely talked to any other soldier but their small unit.

Reaching a fire pit devoid of people, she took a seat to warm herself before she headed into her tent. Soldiers strolled past, some chatting and others much like herself that were just tired from the day and wanting to eat and sleep. After a time of just sitting there, she heard two familiar voices. Glancing ever so slightly, she saw the two that she had saved earlier.

"They've got the best shooters up there you know. No surprise they saved our asses," the man wearing the glasses said, laughing. The other was following him, hands in his pockets. Watching them, the woman smirked.

"Well, it sure has been a while, now hasn't it?" Looking up at both from under her hood, she smirked. It was going to be hard for them to see her face. Both turned and stared at her, confused that she was the one talking to them. "Pony boy sure seems confused," she said, standing and brushing her hood off. The dark-haired man blinked, staring at her.

"Riza… what are you doing way out here?" His eyes roamed her figure, checking for any sign that she was a medic or something. But alas, he found none and looked to her eyes.

"It's Hawkeye… And after father passed away, I joined up behind you and Jean. I couldn't let you boys have all the fun," she said, smirking.

"You cut your hair," he said, staring at the short male-like haircut currently adorning her head. The only thing that even remotely told him she was a woman besides the evident bump of her breasts was the bangs she kept.

"Long hair is too hard to fit under a hood. No use getting shot being the only blonde haired sniper when a wind blows off my hood," she said, shrugging as if it was nothing. "Seen Havoc lately?"

"He's somewhere around here," he said. It was then that he got elbowed sternly in the ribs by his friend.

"Aren't you gonna introduce me?" The spectacled man whispered.

"… Right. Hawkeye, this is Colonel Maes Hughes. Jean and I met him in basic. Hughes, this is Riza Hawkeye. She's a childhood friend of mine," Roy explained.

"I hope you're not trying to set me up," Riza said, giving him an unamused look.

"Oh, no. I wouldn't go after a woman such as yourself. Don't worry; I have a girlfriend back home. Wanna see pictures?!" Hughes suddenly had photos out and in her face before she could even respond. "See? Isn't she beautiful? I'm gonna ask her to marry me once this damn war is over. Then we'll have children and be a happy family!"

"She is beautiful sir. And a pleasure to meet you," she said, nodding to him. Roy scratched his head, not sure what else to say. The three of them stood there in silence, Hughes fawning over the photos of his girlfriend while Roy and Riza remained rooted to their spots. "Well, I should be getting to my tent," Riza said, grabbing the sniper she had leaning against a rock. Moving to leave the small circle of logs and rocks, Mustang finally said something.

"Ri—Hawkeye," he said, catching his words. "I have a proposal for you. And I was wondering if you could hear me out," Mustang said, holding his hand out to her. Stopping where she was, she turned and looked at him. He looked worn out, and like he hadn't slept in quite a long time.

"If it has anything to do with sex, then no. Otherwise, next time we have the day off, I'll listen," Hawkeye answered, before nodding to them both. "Evening Mustang, Hughes," she said and walked off in the direction of her tent. The spectacled man shook his head, whistling.

"Damn, Roy. You have one hell of a friend. I hope you'll be proposing to her. She's a catch you don't want to lose," Hughes said, glancing to his friend.

"Then why don't _you_ go after her?" Roy had a very annoyed look on his face, not happy that Maes always seemed to be pushing marriage on him.

"Nooooo, I'd never do that. I have Gracia, see?" He foisted the pictures of his girlfriend on Mustang again, who pushed them away.

"You don't need to remind me, Maes," he said, taking a seat on one of the rocks.

X x x In her Bedroom x x x

—_while he was out on rounds. A lot of people think guarding the alchemists and other soldiers is an easy task. Little do they know we see what they're actually doing. Those people die in more horrific was than we could ever imagine. But he said he has a proposal of some kind. We'll find out what he has to say. My next day off is next week, so we agreed to meet then, probably go into the nearest untouched city and get a drink or something._

The entry ended so simply. No signature, just a period. Frowning, she shook her head. It brought back a lot of the memories she had, and particularly the strong stench of her clothes after being out on the cliffs for twelve hours. With huge fires burning the dead, constant explosions, wind and her own recoiling sniper, it was no wonder the smell was so horrid and yet hard to get out of one's mind.

Glancing to her clock, she saw that it was indeed getting late. And she needed to get up early in order to drag the Colonel from his bed and get him to work. That thought made her laugh quietly to herself. She'd get to wake him up while he was hung over. The next day was going to be excellent, and one of the best in a long while.

Clicking off her lamp, she slid under the blankets and drifted to sleep.

x x x The office the next Day x x x

With a groan, Roy glared over his paperwork at whoever was entering the office. It was someone from the mail room, coming to deliver anything important. This was his worst hang over ever and being picked up my Riza at 6 AM that morning was not the best reminder of how their date ended. The whole time they were working in silence, Roy would yell at any noise that was too loud. Hearing his complaints made Riza smirk. It was very obvious she was enjoying this _way_ too much. Pushing herself up from her desk—her chair making a noise on the wood floor—she grabbed her mug and strolled to his desk to take his.

"Want more coffee sir?" She inquired, her voiced louder than normal. The visible annoyance on the Colonel's face would have normally sent the whole office into a fit of laughter. But today they were hiding their giggles behind stacks of paperwork, open files, and even their hands.

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant," he said, handing her his mug and giving her a look of utter dislike. Accepting it, she looked around the room.

"Fury, wanna come with me and refill some other mugs?" The younger man got up and took several other mugs before following his superior into the hallway. They walked in silence down the corridor heading for the lounge that held a kitchen.

Back in the office, Jean sat back and looked at his friend. Pulling the unlit cigarette from his lips, he played with it between his fingers before replacing it. It was apparent he wanted to say something and was just waiting for the right moment to do so.

"So, I can tell your date went fantastically," he said, as a very amused smirk on his face. Roy glared at his childhood friend. The Colonel shot him a glare, not at all pleased that they were making fun of him.

Every so often Fury would glance at Riza, as the two of them filled the mugs of their coworkers. He was the youngest of the office, and had still not gotten used to the dynamics of all the people that resided there. At long last Riza broke the silence between them.

"Something wrong Fury?" She seemed to have startled him as the spoon he was currently using clattered to the floor.

"That was quite the harsh thing to do to the Colonel," he said, picking up the utensil and setting it in the sink. "Aren't you worried you'll get in trouble?" Seeing her smirk caused the man to blink and remain still very confused.

"He wouldn't dare. Mustang knows I'm here to help him reach the top. Myself and everyone in our office. Otherwise he'd have no one to push him to get there," she said, glancing over at her subordinate, before picking up her own mug of tea and then the Colonel's. "Shall we?" The man nodded, and picked up the mugs he had grabbed and followed her back to the office.

It was quiet, just how they left it. Strolling up to the Colonel's desk, she set his mug down on his coaster before moving to her own desk. Roy glanced up, watching her as she moved. Taking her seat once more, she sipped her tea before picking up her pen and resuming where she left off. The office remained silent for a few more minutes, before Jean finally spoke up.

"Hey, Riz, I was wondering if you wanted to go see a baseball game. I heard the Scorpions were going to be in town," he said, looking across his desk at her.

"That'd be great. I haven't seen a baseball game in years," she answered. The Second Lieutenant grinned around his unlit cigarette. Out of the corner of his eye, he could feel the aura of annoyance radiating off the Colonel.

"Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow night then?"

"Sounds good to me," Riza said, nodding. She was glad she had tomorrow off, which meant she could get a lot done around her house and then go out and enjoy the Scorpions game with Jean.

"I'll be by around five then," Jean said, watching her nod as she returned to the paperwork before her. His eyes moved to Mustang, who was giving him a glare of death. Giving his friend and superior his crooked smirk, Havoc turned back to reading through the reports on his desk.

_Is tomorrow night going to be great or what?_ He thought, incredibly happy that he had beaten the Colonel to asking her out on a second "date."

* * *

_Thank you for reading, and for waiting so long for this chapter update!_

I give you the full right to bombard me with comments on my livejournal (hagarenobsessed) or twitter (dominicknight). No joke. I appreciate getting those prods to get to work. Heck, if one of you wants to take out the whip, be my guest. I deserve the punishment for not updating in a long time.

Thank you once again for waiting!!

Please read and review if you'd like. Comments and criticism are much appreciated.

Thanks to everyone!

Later days,  
Dominic Knight aka Flava Sava


	14. Of Side Roads and Baseball Diamonds

**Disclaimer: Blah blah. I don't own FMA... You know the story.**

_A/N: Hey everybody!_

Look! I have another update for you all! And yes, it is longer than the last chapter, and full of fun. Well, actually the whole fun part is up to you.

Thank you so much for continuing to read and being here! I really appreciate it!

Without further ado, onto chapter 14!

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Being knee-deep in cleaning supplies wasn't a hundred percent how Riza planned on spending her one and only day off. Low and behold she was currently sweeping every floor, mopping them, and then doing any extra items she could possibly think about. So far, she had scrubbed the entire bathroom from floor to ceiling, fixed the leaking faucet and pipes, and was now taking items up to her attic that were a nuisance. Sitting on the floor by her bed, she sighed as she reached up and slid off the bandanna currently keeping her hair out of her face.

From where he was currently lounging on the hardwood outside her bedroom door, Black Hayate got up and trotted over to his master. Sitting next to her, he then curled up against her leg. Glancing at her bedside clock, Riza saw that it was almost noon. She had been up for nearly seven hours, and she had almost half of her housework finished.

Snagging her journal off the bedside table, Riza flipped through the pages. After she found the page she left off on, she sipped some of her tea—which by that point had cooled considerably. It was another entry that started without introduction other than the date.

_Finally had my day off, and guess who did too? Somehow I have a feeling he bribed someone to schedule his day-off the same as mine. Hmm, no surprise there… After acquiring a car we drove to—_

X x x The Battlefield x x x

At long last she could leave her spot on the cliffs and actually have a chance to relax, shower and down a drink or two. Making her way down the trail, she adjusted her rifle strap and froze in place hearing a high pitched whistling noise. Her eyes instantly went to the skies, watching for the mortar. Stepping into a small inlet of the rocks at long last she caught sight of the mortar. It flew over the cliffs and crashed somewhere beyond. Keeping her ears peeled, she continued down the path until at last she arrived upon the camp.

All around people were bustling about to and from the larger tents. Food was especially appreciated, as the line from the mess tent was even longer than the line to the showers. Bypassing the throng of people, she made an immediate b-line for her own tent. She'd have the next twenty-four hours to herself, and she wanted to use it to her advantage. Just as she turned the corner, someone called out her name. Groaning, she turned on her heel to see who in their right mind would be bothering her now that she was officially off duty. And now before her stood an out of breath Roy Mustang panting as he leaned on his knees.

"Didn't… you hear me? I've been… calling you since you passed… the mess hall," he said, glancing up at her for a split second before taking a few more deep breaths and straightening up. It occurred to the sniper that she had blocked out anyone shouting for her.

"Oh, that was you?" She looked at him with a smug look on her face, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"…Yeah, well I was wondering if you wanted to go into town and get a drink and some decent food. Word is tonight's menu will send you home with the runs," the alchemist said, gesturing over his shoulder. Thinking about his proposal she sighed. All she really wanted was a nice hot shower, some food and a lot of sleep. And of course she remembered the agreement she made with him.

"Your day off is today too?" It was obvious Hawkeye was very exasperated. For the few days after her last talk with Mustang, she had assumed their days-off would never coincide. When the fighting had picked up in the field, she had completely forgotten about it.

"Lucky coincidence right? What do you say?"

"Let me put my rifle away, and change," she said, looking at him before doing an about-face and walking towards her tent.

"I'll meet you back here," was Mustang's response.

Traipsing to her tent, Riza ducked under the now open flap and moved to where her cot was. Normally she would be sharing with someone, but there were very few women on the frontlines, and generally they were all roomed together based on unit. Being in the sniper division gave her plenty of much needed privacy. Setting her gun in its case carefully, she flopped on her cot and burrowed her head under the pillow for several moments. Letting her thoughts collect and her brain relax from the day, she finally sat up and started to change.

A few minutes later she walked out dressed in a cleaner uniform, and a clean desert cloak about her shoulders. Right where she left him, Roy stood, hands in his pockets and staring at the sky. Stopping before him, she observed him for several minutes.

"Well, shall we?" Raising an eyebrow at him as he finally noticed her presence; she walked ahead of him towards where they could sign out a car for a few hours.

Normally she would be the one driving since Mustang was her superior. But instead he snatched the keys up and got their car. Rolling her eyes at this gesture, she climbed into the steam-powered vehicle without a word and they left the camp. On average the drive would take about an hour, so they had some time until they arrived at their destination. The sniper had no intention of starting up a conversation, but she knew it would be rude not to—and a part of her cursed the manners she was taught.

"Talked to Havoc lately?" It felt so formal to use his last name, but out here, they weren't friends, they were superior and subordinate. If anyone heard, all three of them could be court marshaled.

"Jean's been busy being a guard. He does what he's able and works hard. His superior is one tough sonnuva bitch," Mustang commented, giving Riza a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to the road.

"He knows how to work hard, even if he honestly doesn't want to," she said, watching the terrain carefully for any sign of an ambush. Attacks on civilian roads were surprisingly infrequent and generally only occurred on military built roads. "I know your work has been going well, sir," Hawkeye said, leaning back a bit in her seat and looking at the cacti and rocks they passed.

"Come on Riza. You can call me Roy, and Havoc, Jean. We're all friends here. And it's not like anyone is listening," he said, looking at her as he slowed a bit for a farmer and his herd to cross the road.

"It may seem like we're still buddy-buddy, Mustang. But you need to remember we're in a war," Riza said, her eyes now looking at him. Still sitting on the road waiting for the last cow or two, he was staring at her. Compared to their childhood and middle-school days, at some point Riza had grown cold and shelled herself away. Once he could drive again, the Flame Alchemist drove some distance ahead before turning off on a side road that probably led to someone's farm.

"Do you honestly want to listen to my proposal or did you just want a ride into town?" By that point the car was shut off and he was turned in his seat looking at her.

"We agreed that tonight cannot have anything to do with sex. You try to get me drunk just to sleep with and I promise you that there will be no way you can reproduce after that," she said, giving him a hard glare.

"Right. No funny business. I just want to have your opinion," he said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Alright, go ahead then."

"Do you like the Fuhrer?" Roy stared at her, watching her reaction to his inquiry.

"What does that have to do with your proposal?"

"Answer the question."

"I don't like the way things are run. But we're the military. It's our job to obey orders, even if we have our own bias against them," she replied, confused as to the meaning of his question.

"It's tough to listen to these orders, even if we know they're wrong. Killing people just because of their skin or eye color is wrong. Slaughtering them because of their religion is wrong. We both know that. But everyone is so stuck on believing its right. And I want to change that," he said, turning his attention to outside the windshield.

The sniper couldn't believe the words she was hearing out of his mouth. This was treason, and if any of the higher ups, let alone any of their fellows got wind of this, they'd both be in trouble. Staring at him in disbelief, she shook her head and looked out the front window. Her mind was mulling over his words, and she was just plain stuck.

"But in order to make it to the top, I need support. My question is, will you be there?" With his eyes still trained on some plant outside, Riza observed him for a moment before she nodded and faced forwards once more.

"Every step of the way. Besides, you need someone there to protect you when it rains," she said, smirking. Roy's eye twitched, as he glanced at her, obviously annoyed. After a moment he laughed and started the car up. Once more they were on their way to dinner.

x x x Back home x x x

—_a nearby town. It was nice to get a hot meal that wasn't made in a tent. But he brought up an odd subject. Looks like I'll be supporting him straight to the top. His ass needs guarding anyway. Sometimes in his excitement he can do the stupidest things._

Laughing to herself, Hawkeye took a sip of her cold tea and set the cup down, finally catching sight of the clock. Nearly spitting out the liquid, she jumped up. She had spent almost an hour sitting there, and she still had plenty of housework to finish. Having sensed his master up, Hayate was up next to her in a flash, alert and ready for anything.

Grabbing the dishes she resumed her task of cleaning and kept a keen eye on the clock. Several hours later, and at long last, her house was just how she wanted it. Once she had showered and changed, Riza was ready to go out with Jean. Black Hayate was fed and happy chewing away on a new bone, while she moved out onto the porch to wait for Havoc. Despite his usual laziness, he was right on time. Both of them were dressed casually and fully prepared for a great baseball game.

"Well, you look ready to go," he said, grinning up at her from the bottom of her porch steps.

"I haven't gone to a baseball game since I was a kid. Of course I'm ready to go. Besides it's the Scorpions playing the Yankstons. We _can't_ miss this," she said, laughing as she moved with him out of the yard and towards his car.

The drive there was short, and thankfully they could still find parking nearby. They chatted and reminisced, laughing about plenty of their childhood memories, especially playing stickball. Once they found their seats, they watched the normal parade of events until at long last, the game started.

Some distance behind where the two of them sat, was a dark haired man observing them with several others with him. It was clear he wasn't watching the game, Mustang was determined to see how their date went, and figure out just what it was that made her always accept his offers. But everyone else sitting around him from the office…they were supposed to be helping him keep study them. So far though, that wasn't happening. They were too involved in watching the game.

"—the hell are they talking about? No reason they should be so close together. And what's with his arm on the back of her seat!" Roy was visibly frustrated and was not happy that Jean could be so close to _his_ First Lieutenant.

"Hey boss, why not just let them hang out? It's not like he's trying to worm his way into her pants," Breda said, mumbling the last part. Judging by the Colonel's features though, he hadn't heard a word his subordinate said.

"I don't feel comfortable watching them when we bought these tickets on the military's dime," Fury said, glancing at the others as he sat low in his seat. He was evidently trying to hide himself behind the small wall that differentiated the seating sections.

"Okay, I've got the hot dogs, drinks and nachos," Falman announced, finally back from the concession stand. Taking his seat he passed out the items the others had requested and sipped his drink. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nah. Just an excellent double play followed by a few foul balls," Breda responded, taking a bite of his hot dog. Meanwhile, Roy continued to fume over the current actions of his two Lieutenants.

"Man, I can't believe that wasn't a homer. Just a double," Riza said, sitting back in her seat a bit. She had taken notice of Jean's arm across the back, but was really just ignoring it. As usual, he was being the gentleman his mamma taught him to be, which is what she expected. And compared to the dinners spent with Roy mostly talking over work, this was _much_ more enjoyable.

"Hopefully they'll bring out the real firepower with Biggs Hill. He'll definitely score us a homer," said Jean, keeping his eyes on the field. After a few moments of observing the infield, he glanced over to where a nearby hot dog vendor was making his way along the stands. "Hey you want something to eat?" Looking to where the man was, she turned her attention to her childhood friend.

"Sure. Hot dog, peanuts or popcorn sounds fine to me," she said, before immediately her eyes were back on the pitcher's mound. It was then that they heard a loud _crack_ from his bat and the ball went soaring. After moving through the air for a few moments, it finally landed just outside the yellow post signifying another foul ball. A loud grumble came from the crowd, not at all pleased that their home team was having bad luck.

Raising his hand to get the vendor's attention, Jean got them some food and touched Riza's arm gently to gain her attention. Turning, she grinned, seeing that he had gotten all three of her requests, including lemonade from a separate seller.

"Excellent. Now for the Scorpions to just crush the Yankstons and we'll be home free," she said, unwrapping the main course and taking a bite.

The game continued on for some time, with the cheers and boos from the crowd. But finally after eleven grueling innings, the scorpions finally pulled it off. Every fan was on their feet cheering when the last runner made it to home plate. Seeing the winning run, Riza and Jean were both yelled loudly, celebrating the victory. Jumping up and down, they suddenly embraced. Within a few moments of the action, they suddenly split apart, faces tinged faintly red. As everyone left, Riza and Jean made for the car to get home.

"That was the most amazing play ever. Who knew one of the top teams could have so many errors in one play!" It was like being a little kid again, as Jean watched Riza gush about the game. He remembered how much she loved baseball when they were young, that was evident.

"I can't believe it. They might actually go all the way! If they're playing here, we'll definitely need to snag tickets," Jean said, following her as she turned into the parking garage. Together they wandered up the stairs and to where they had parked somewhere on the third floor. Turning from where the stairs were, Riza walked right into Mustang and the rest of the members of their office.

"Sir! What are you doing here? I thought you had paperwork to finish?" Riza was more caught off guard that he was out of the office and near the stadium.

"Ah, we uhh… finished early. So we figured since this game was so huge, it was a good night to watch," Roy said, nodding.

"We didn't expect you here, Colonel. I figured you had a date tonight," Jean added, hands casually in his pockets, usual cigarette hanging between his lips.

"Nope. No plans tonight. Thought it was a good night for a man's night," Roy said, nodding once more.

"Why wasn't I aware of this?" Jean raised an eyebrow, obviously confused. He was after all, Roy's best friend; why wasn't he told of this?

"You were going out with Riza," Roy replied, trying to appear like it was no big deal.

"Oh stop your lying. I highly doubt you were even watching the game. I don't appreciate you watching me while I'm out with someone else," Riza said, clearly ticked off at Mustang.

"What? Where'd you get an idea like that?" Taken aback by her statement, Roy tried to act as casual as possible. Fury hid behind both Breda and Falman, hoping to not experience any of Hawkeye's impending wrath.

"Fury, front and center please," Riza requested, knowing the younger officer would listen. Peeking out from behind the other two subordinates, he stepped forwards.

"Kain, you don't have to listen to her if you don't want to," Roy said, shrugging. He wanted to give the man a way out so that he wouldn't spill the beans.

"W-Well, we were just watching the g-game. And really… it was an amazing game," he said, trying seem as calm as possible. Seeing Hawkeye's face, Fury could tell she wasn't happy with what he was saying.

"See you boys tomorrow. Evening," she said, starting to walk towards Jean's car. Scratching the back of his neck, he nodded to the guys.

"I'm glad to see you enjoyed the game. But did you really have to follow me on the date?" Glancing at his coworkers, he searched their expressions and body language for his answer. "See ya'll tomorrow." Turning on his heel, he trailed after Riza towards his car.

Staring after them, it was unmistakable that Roy wasn't pleased with the outcome of the past five minutes of events. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed.

"Fuck," he said before starting to approach their car.

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_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I really enjoyed writing it! Not to mention baseball season is always fun!_

Yes, this is still going to be a Royai fic. I just have to get through the JeanRiza parts and then you'll be homefree to enjoy the Royai. And who knows, maybe something interesting will happen along the way.

Thanks again for reading and keeping up with this story. I know it's getting long, but I really appreciate all of your reviews and criticism. They're incredibly encouraging and make me want to really make you guys happy with more updates!

Thank you again!

Later days,  
Flava Sava aka Dominic Knight


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